What Insertion?
by Curtis Wildcat
Summary: Chapter Twenty Three uploaded. Beware the mazoku that believes that pranking cures insomnia. And beware of those that get revenge. May you live in interesting times, Phibrizzo.
1. Prolgoue Part A

WHAT- INSERTION?

by Curtis Wildcat

Any animes used are owned and copyrighted by their respective creators. Curtis is property of myself. Capeche? Good. Let's go.

* * *

PROLOGUE -- Part A 

Location: The Warring States Era, Earth

Time: Two hours after sunrise

It was done.

After the many months of searching for the jewel shards, working to increase their abilities and striving to do their very best, it was done: the destruction of the dastardly Naraku had taken place at the hands of Inuyasha and company.

The battle had lasted for over two hours, but Naraku's trickery and uncanny strength couldn't stand up under the combined attacks of Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku, Sango, Kilala, Koga, Sesshoumaru, and even Kikyo. Given the chance to escape, Kagura had accepted it; she had taken Kanna and fled...but not until she dished out a few attacks of her own. Even Shippo had gotten a few licks in, despite the fact that he didn't have any real stake in the fight.

The final fragments of the jewel were gathered, and it was made whole once more. After a day or so passed by, Kagome entrusted the protection of the jewel to Inuyasha, who had decided to maintain his status as a hanyou. After everyone (except Sesshoumaru and Kikyo) said their individual farewells to her and reminesced a little, Kagome returned back to her rightful era---this time for good. With Kagome gone, Koga decided he didn't have any reason to stick around; everyone else decided to stay and see what Inuyasha was going to do with the jewel.

It was Shippo who heard the quiet words coming from Inuyasha's mouth: "Without Kagome around, what am I supposed to do---spend several centuries sitting around, waiting for the chance to see her again? Letting boredom overwhelm me...that's just not my style. I need an adventure, something to keep me occupied until the time comes. I want to go someplace where I am needed, someplace where my actions can have an impact. That's where I wish to go...good-bye, everyone. You guys take care."

There was a loud rushing noise as the air where Inuyasha had been standing collapsed on itself, and a burst of flame as the jewel...the very jewel that so much damage had been inflicted over...disintegrated completely.

At the time, Sesshoumaru and Kikyo didn't believe that it would be the last they'd see of Inuyasha for several centuries. It wasn't until some years later that they understood the extent of Inuyasha's wish: he'd been whisked away from this universe altogether.

* * *

Location: Early 21st century, Earth

Time: 1:47a.m.

The chubby teenager...one who couldn't really be called that anymore...looked bored as he glared at his computer screen. --I would love to know how those other guys do this,-- he thought. --Trying to write a crossover with yourself as one of the characters is not an easy thing to write.--

Taking a moment to tear his eyes from the screen, he looked down at his alarm clock: 1:48a.m. _Wow, that long? I wasn't even aware that I'd been up that long; I wonder how that episode of "Sanford and Son" turned out. I'll try this again tomorrow after class._ Closing the file and shutting down the computer, he got into bed and fell asleep almost immediately.

Now, some people know that the strangest things are dreamt about while asleep. Little did this person know, though, that he'd have a chance to live the dream and escape from reality...quite literally.

* * *

Location: The world of Ceiphied and Shabranigdu 

Time: Late morning

A small dark-haired boy sat halfway up a tree, humming to himself thoughtfully. If his planning had gone the way he'd expected it to, then Lina Inverse ought to be passing by a nearby meadow in just a few short hours. By the time he was done the entire world, not just that insignificant meadow, would be chaos and destruction incarnate. The blame would be placed squarely on Inverse's shoulders, and the boy would have the last laugh as everything crumbled to nothing.

Reaching up, he yanked an apple off a nearby branch and began chewing it quietly. He didn't really need to eat anything, but he decided to have something to take his mind off the strange headache he'd been having for the last minute or so...

Wait a minute. Headache? _That doesn't make sense_, Phibrizzo mused. _Unless inflicted by Rah Tilt or Elmekia Flame, mazoku don't get headaches. Maybe everything I've been thinking about has been giving me the equivalent of a human headache. It shouldn't surprise me; I'd been planning all this ever since I learned of how Inverse defeated the Red Priest and the fragment of Lord Ruby Eye_. He turned his thoughts inward to see if his suspicions were correct...

...and jerked upwards from his sitting position in shock at what he saw. Deep inside the deepest recesses of his mind were two large, cubic chambers, each of them connected by a small corridor. How those chambers got there, he had no idea; so, he tried to get rid of them by collapsing that part of his mind. No chance. _This isn't good._

As the two unknown figures entered his mental line of sight, his eyes narrowed and he groaned audibly. _Intruders inside MY mind? I can imagine my sister Dolphin's mind, but mine? Better nip this one in the bud.

* * *

_  
Inuyasha wasn't too happy, of course. Being stuck in a large, strange room with only a passageway leading to another room was not how he wanted that wish to be granted! "I'd expected to be stuck somewhere in the middle of one of those foreign lands that Kagome used to go on about," he growled, "not confined someplace that a mapmaker couldn't find his way out of." He forced himself to calm down before he lost his temper.

Now that he was a bit calmer, he took the time to study the place that he found himself in. _At least I got myself a room with a view,_ Inuyasha thought as he looked directly in front of him. At the very front of the room was a scene full of leaves and tree branches; he'd already tried to exit that way, but found his escape route mysteriously blocked. The chamber itself was about sixty feet wide (the same distance long) and was about fifteen feet high; the walls, ceiling, and floor were covered with a metallic sheen. Along one wall were a series of odd devices and buttons that he didn't dare tamper with; he'd had enough problems with Kagome's "technology" to know that something usually went wrong when that happened. In one corner was a glass pillar filled with a strange green liquid.

Finally, there was a door at the back of the room that led into a small corridor. Investigating it, he found that it connected to another room of similar design; the difference was that there were numerous items that he recognized only from the occasional trips he'd made to Kagome's house. Most of those items were situated on a massive "entertainment center" that rested on one side of the chamber. In the center of the room was a chair that was permenantly attached to the ground. Other than a large rug here at the back of the room, the room was also covered with metal and weird "technology".

"Huh," Inuyasha muttered aloud. "Whoever made these rooms didn't have much of a decorative sense."

"You're telling me," someone nearby replied, the source of the voice coming from the chair. Startling him, the chair spun around to face him and gave him a good view of who just spoke to him. "It's as if all the artists of the world hated their paintings simultaneously."

"Who are you?" Inuyasha growled, keeping one hand near Tetsusaiga.

"Would you relax already? I don't carry weapons with me," the person answered. "Name's Curtis, and I can probably assume you're Inuyasha..."

Inuyasha glared at him suspiciously. "And how do you know that?"

"Let's just say that your name's pretty popular back home and leave it at that," Curtis said, turning back around in his chair. "What I can't figure out is how I got here. Last thing I remember is falling asleep in bed..." Thinking about it but giving up after a few seconds, he got up from the chair and approached Inuyasha. "Oh, well. As long as I'm here, I might as well just..."

While Curtis was talking, Inuyasha was eyeing a device (a loudspeaker, if he remembered correctly) in an upper corner of the room. A small yellow light kept flicking on and off repeatedly, then flashed red. That was all the warning the hanyou received before it happened...

**"Whether you know what's good for you or not, get out of my head!"

* * *

**  
Phibrizzo was pleased to see that both of the intruders were shocked right out of their conversation when they heard his mental scream. His eyes unfocused, he continued to mentally concentrate on the scene within his head. It took only a few seconds for the first intruder to react, unsheathing his sword_----How'd he get that huge sword in that sheath?_, he wondered----and immediately raising his guard. He looked human yet canine at the same time, not at all unusual but not as common as such creatures were centuries ago. The other intruder just looked around him, confused. _Typical human. Looks like he swallowed a pillow._

"Who are you?" the dog/human snarled, his eyes narrowed.

"My name doesn't matter," Phibrizzo said quietly. Slowly raising his voice, he continued: "What DOES matter is that I **don't** want you in here! **Get out!**"

Although he couldn't collapse the chambers, the mazoku COULD force the two of them out. Deciding on what approach to take, he decided that a heavy wind would do the trick; they didn't look like much, despite the huge sword. Mentally bracing himself, he blasted the two of them with as powerful a force as he could manage.

He waited about twenty seconds into the typhoon, then examined the intruders. The overweight human had somehow wrapped his arms and legs around the chair before being blown away, although his grip was slowly weakening. The dog/human had jammed his sword into the ground and was facing the wind thoughtfully. **"Just leave!" **Phibrizzo shouted. **"Don't bother resisting!"**

The intruder's response surprised him: he freed the sword from the ground and raised it, smiling. Sure, he was getting forced back; but he didn't seem to care. "I'm not going _anywhere_, kid!" he shouted back. "You like wind? I'll give you all the wind you can handle and then some! **Wind Scar!**" With that, he slammed his sword into the ground just as the human lost his grip on the chair and was blown past him...

Phibrizzo hadn't thought that the "Wind Scar", as the intruder had called it, would do anything to him.

...A powerful jolt broke his concentration, increasing the intensity of the "headache" that the mazoku was having earlier. Even though it wasn't physical, the mental shock made him feel as if he'd just gotten blasted by a triple-powered Rah Tilt. Trying his best not to scream, Phibrizzo instead threw both hands onto his head and whimpered as loud as he could, his mind racing. _Stupid! Stupid, stupid, stupid!_

_

* * *

_

Inuyasha watched as the Wind Scar tore its way through the typhoon, scattering it but somehow leaving the floor undamaged. Instead, his attack left four long, glowing lines on the floor. These faded after several seconds...

The view outside abruptly changed, tilting downwards towards the base of a tree. _Very_ loud whimpering noises eminated from the speaker.

It occurred to him at this point what the kid had said earlier: "Get out of my head!" "Now I get what the jewel did," Inuyasha muttered aloud. "It must've dug out these chambers in the kid's mind and tossed me in here. Wonder what _he's_ in here for, though."

"I'm _supposed_ to be asleep," Curtis told him, stumbling a little and making his way back to the chair. "Maybe I've been asleep for a few hours and this is some sort of dream, or something. Yeah, that's it. Maybe I'm just dreaming this," he mumbled, sitting down in the chair and staring at the view outside.

"Believe what you want, kid," Inuyasha growled, sheathing Tetsusaiga. "Now that I know we're inside some demented kid's head, I'm going to head back to the other chamber and see what all those things in there are for. See ya."

As Inuyasha exited the chamber, Curtis took another look around. His mind registered the fact that the chair rotated in whatever direction he turned his head; ignoring the whimpering noises that were slowly ceasing, he turned towards the television. "I'm dreaming," he murmured again. "Might as well make the most of it. Now, how does that television work..."

The television flicked itself on, and a remote control materialized in Curtis's hand. His eyebrows shot up. "Cool. I wonder..."

Following the path of the remote control, a cup holder appeared and attached to the chair's left armrest. A large cup of strawberry soda followed suit, followed by Curtis's grin. "If this _is_ a dream, I'll give my alarm clock to someone else," he said aloud, flicking through the television channels until he reached a basketball game.

After several minutes it occurred to him that their host had stopped whimpering and was now groaning something. The view outside had gone back to leaves and branches, although the direction was a bit off; Curtis noted this, but he was wondering something else now. "You okay out there?"

* * *

_I feel like my head's on fire, and he asks if I'm okay. Stupid jerk._ "No, I'm not," Phibrizzo growled irritably, one hand still on his head and one eye locked in a mental staredown. "Why are you doing this? What do you two have to gain by rummaging around in my very essence?" 

"You tell me," the fat human said, taking a sip of...whatever that stuff was. "A little while ago, I was sleeping in my room. Next thing I know, I'm in here."

"I don't believe you," Phibrizzo snarled. "You're up to something. **No one** gets into my head on accident, and those little rooms weren't there yesterday."

"You'd better believe it," the human told him, taking another drink. "I ain't saying anything else on that subject." He set the drink down and held up a small device, then did something with it that stopped the strange background noise. "My name's Curtis. Since I can't see your face from here, you'll have to tell me: who did I wind up with?"

Phibrizzo removed his hand from his head as the Wind Scar-induced headache finally subsided. Thinking fast, he figured he'd respond to his question and judge from his reaction whether the human---Curtis---was telling the truth. "Very well, then; I'll play along for now. I am known as Phibrizzo."

Curtis's eyes widened, and his mouth fell open slightly. An involuntary shudder played "Chopsticks" on his spine. "Now I **know** I'm dreaming," he deadpanned.

_To be continued_


	2. Prologue Part B

WHAT- INSERTION?

by Curtis Wildcat

PROLOGUE -- Part B

* * *

Location: The world of Ceiphied and Shabranigdu 

Time: Late morning

Over a speaker that hung in one corner of his own chamber, Inuyasha listened to the conversation between Curtis and Phibrizzo. The former sounded surprised to be here (_this Phibrizzo character must've been popular back where he's from, too_, Inuyasha thought), but the hanyou tuned the rest of the conversation out as he contemplated the buttons on one side of the chamber.

_Hmm...I never really got too acquainted with the "technology" back home in Kagome's era. Maybe now's my chance to make up for it._ Inuyasha eyed some of the buttons. _Let's see. 'Look right'...'Look left'...'Blink'...'Sit down'...since I'm inside his head, I wonder if..._

Cautiously, he reached out and pushed a button labeled 'Stand up'.

* * *

"So you honestly think you're really back home asleep and dreaming," Phibrizzo said, still slightly unnerved at having his mind attacked from within. "What about your friend in the other room? Is _he_ asleep too?" 

"Inuyasha hasn't told me." Curtis took a sip from his drink; even from his point-of-view, his nerves looked jittery. They had every right to be. "All I know about him is that various stories titled after him are pretty popular. That, and he's got a real mean sword."

Phibrizzo smiled thoughtfully. "Interesting. It appears formidable. I wonder how well it would fare against the Sword of Lighwhhhaaa!"

Inexplicably, he had found himself jolted upright and standing on the branch that he had been sitting on just seconds prior. _What...!_ He placed one hand against the tree to steady himself. _Something's going on in there!_

He immediately switched from Curtis's chamber to the dog/human Inuyasha's. His eyes dilated. _Aw, don't tell me...

* * *

_  
Inuyasha had a wide grin on his face as he observed the consequences of his action. _Okay, that's one. Let's try the rest of them!

* * *

_  
If anyone had walked by soon after, 'flabbergasted' wouldn't even begin to describe their reaction. If _Xellos_ had been there, he'd probably ask him to do it again just so he could laugh at him.

Phibrizzo was flipping around the forest without having any control of where he was going. Every now and then he'd stop and blink rapidly, spin his head back and forth, hyperventilate, rotate his arms at high speed, do a rapid tap dance, flatten himself against the ground and teleport back to where he started---and all within 15 seconds; after that he would go through the whole procedure again, albeit not in the same order. It didn't help that he was yelling the whole time.

During the fourth repetition, Phibrizzo finally stopped yelling and started thinking. _Can't...control where I'm going! If Curtis's telling the truth, then why is that friend of his doing this! Those little parasites!_

In the background faintly, he could hear the voices of said 'parasites'. "Inuyasha..."

"What do you want?"

"I think we've disturbed him enough. Quit pushing those buttons."

Inuyasha's voice sounded a bit snappish. "Oh, go sit in your chair. I'm having fun here."

The human got a bit exasparated. "Inuyasha, please!"

A disappointed sigh. "Suit yourself."

A split second later Phibrizzo regained complete control of everything he was, and he was finally able to resettle against the same tree---this time on the ground. He was starting to get _really_ irritated by now. Proof of that was the dust that occupied the space where several trees had been before.

* * *

Curtis shook his head as he reentered his mind chamber and sat down in the chair. "That guy sure knows how to ruin a conversation," he said, taking a large gulp of soda. Out loud, he said: "As long as we're on the subject of the Sword of Light, where are we in this whole scheme of things?" 

The response he got was as he expected, albeit a bit snappish. "You mean my goals? That's simple. My goal is to cause a certain girl's Giga Slave to misfire and envelop the world in chaos. I'm using a friend of hers to help accomplish this end."

"Hate to burst your bubble, but it ain't gonna work," Curtis said, shaking his head again.

Phibrizzo's voice turned haughty. "And why not?"

"I'll tell you. First off, I know which girl you're referring to; and she ain't gonna go down without a fight. Second, a rival of Gourry's will show up seeking to duel him. While he's doing this, Lina uses the Ragna Blade and slices off the disguise. Straightforward and simple."

A touch of scorn. "Yeah, right. How do you know all this, anyway? Or is it just something that'll come about because of your interference?"

"Remember those stories I told you about earlier?" Curtis asked, picking up the television remote and turning the television back on. "You're one of the characters in it. It basically details how you're planning to destroy the planet, and I know the story inside and out. Said story includes," he said, smiling a little, "how you're gonna get offed eventually anyway without getting what you want."

Out the corner of his eye, Curtis could tell when Phibrizzo's point-of-view changed of his own accord. _Must've sat up suddenly._ "Was it something I said, or---"

"Tell me more later," Phibrizzo snapped. "Lina Inverse's coming, and she's ahead of schedule."

"Who's this Lina Inverse?" Inuyasha asked over the speaker.

"You'll find out when she gets there," Curtis told him. "Might as well settle down. This may take a little while." He flipped through the channels until he reached a familiar show, then leaned back into his chair and finished the rest of his soda.

* * *

LOCATION: Phibrizzo's palace, Sairaag 

TIME: That evening

The battle went as Curtis had told him it would; a swordsman with a pointed hat showed up and ruined everything...except for his contingency plan. After teleporting Gourry to his newfound lair at Sairaag and encasing him in crystal, Phibrizzo sat back in his chair---also made of crystal---and 'gently' prodded Curtis for further details as the hours wore on.

Of course, the mazoku didn't let himself be surprised by Curtis's claims. The occasional reports given him by Xellos had also stated as much, although the human shouldn't have known any of it. Maybe those stories about him back at wherever the parasite originated were true, after all. And he continued thinking this...until Curtis made a rather shocking remark.

"**WHAT?** You're kidding me! The Lord of Nightmares takes over Inverse and uses her to destroy me! No!"

"Oh, _that's_ good news," Inuyasha growled. "What about _us?_"

"We'll talk about that in just a bit," Curtis told him. He would've said more...

...but Phibrizzo's protests interrupted him. "Don't you two understand! If she destroys me before my plans come to pass, everything will be for naught!" _I'll have to come up with some sort of backup plan in case she shows up, and fast!

* * *

_  
Inuyasha was familiar with the plans of madmen, whether they looked like kids or not. That was why he had continued to examine the buttons and various controls in his chamber throughout the discussion, stopping only to deliver an occasional sarcastic remark.

On the far side of the chamber near the pillar of green liquid, there was a solitary button labeled "Switch". Right below it on the floor was a large white 'O'; Inuyasha had found himself standing there while he had conducted his search.

Only half-listening to Phibrizzo's ravings, he considered what the word "Switch" could mean. _It's a puzzle in itself._ He shrugged. _Only thing to do is to give it a try._ Hesitating for the briefest of moments, he raised one hand and pressed the button.

For the briefest of moments, Inuyasha blacked out. When he came to, he looked around him. His eyes saw the wide expanse of crystal and rock. _Great; I'm not in that room anymore. Must be on the outside now. About time; that room was getting cramped. Glad it was worth the risk._

This line of thinking, needless to say, didn't last long. After a couple moments his gaze met with a reflective surface of crystal. It only took him a few seconds to realize that despite the fact that he was fully aware of his surroundings, he still looked like a kid.

_A kid!_

**"This is _really_ stupid!"

* * *

**  
Hearing the shout, Curtis jerked his head over to where the 'viewport' (as he called it) was. Gasping in surprise, he turned around and exited the chamber on a beeline for Inuyasha's. What he found was only another surprise in a day full of them.

Inuyasha was gone----and in the tube of green liquid floated a very distraught and angry mazoku. Thankfully----or not so thankfully, depending on your point of view----Curtis could still hear his voice through the thick glass. "What did that stupid dog do this time? And let me out of here!"

"Oh, come off it," Curtis shouted back. "I'd be doing the same thing in his situation." He turned back towards the viewport, smiling as he caught a glimpse of a reflection in the expanse of crystal. "Although he looks pretty cool, now. He must've found out what that 'Switch' button does."

What the button did was 'switch' the positions of Phibrizzo and Inuyasha around. The hanyou was now in control of Phibrizzo's body, although there were some subtle differences: the hair was now white, the eyes were those of Inuyasha's, and the Tetsusaiga now hung at his side.

"The wonders of technology," Curtis murmured, watching as Inuyasha unsheathed the sword and re-tested the Wind Scar just to let off some steam. "Just how crazy is this dream supposed to get, anyway?"

"Crazy! **Crazy!** Let me out of here or I'll _give_ you crazy, you stupid human!"

Curtis sighed. "Inuyasha, you'd better get back in here. The psycho wants control back."

The mazoku's left eye twitched. "Psycho? You're really pushing it..."

Inuyasha's voice stopped him from saying anything else. "I can't! I don't know how!"

_Think fast, Curtis!_ "Um...just try to imagine switching back! Say the word 'switch' over and over if that helps!"

"I'll go the 'imagine' route, thank you," Inuyasha growled.

After a brief pause, Inuyasha reappeared inside the chamber. A split second later, Phibrizzo disappeared. "That's much better," his voice said calmly. "Now don't do that again."

Curtis tilted his head slightly. "You're mad, aren't you?"

"Someone put a shark's tooth in my shirt," Phibrizzo murmured, registering a 9 on the Sarcasm Meter. "_Yes,_ I'm mad, Mr. Obvious!"

Inuyasha agreed. "Yeah. Is it me, or do you just have trouble talking?"

There was a soft thud, meaning that Phibrizzo had sat down again. "Don't bother me right now. I got stuff to think about." The light on the chamber's speaker dimmed, and all was quiet.

Shrugging his shoulders but staying silent, Curtis ambled back towards the exit. Turning his head slightly, he matched gazes with Inuyasha; the hanyou was watching him cautiously. Motioning towards the exit, he stepped on through. After a second's hesitation, Inuyasha decided to follow him and see what was going on.

_To be continued_


	3. Prologue Part C

WHAT INSERTION?

by Curtis Wildcat

PROLOGUE -- Part C

* * *

Location: Phibrizzo's palace, Sairaag

Time: Late evening, the day before Lina's arrival

"Okay, I'm here," said Inuyasha, folding his arms and staring into Curtis's eyes. "What do you want?"

The two of them were standing in the passageway between the two mind chambers following the hanyou's all-too brief experience as a child-sized mazoku. At some point between the time they had first arrived inside Phibrizzo's mind and when they arrived at his palace, Curtis had determined that their host would not be able to hear them when they stepped into the short corridor. And now, they were going to discuss what their future was going to be.

"You heard what he has in mind," Curtis replied. "He's planning to use Lina to destroy the world, and probably himself along with it. If those stories and shows I've seen are any indication, it'll backfire and fry just him instead. Either way, it's a lose-lose situation for us."

"So basically we're doomed. Is that what you're saying?"

"Yeah, pretty much...unless we do something about it."

Inuyasha's ears perked up a bit. "I'll say it again: what do you want?"

"Well, there are a few ideas. For instance, one of us could switch places with Phibrizzo and let Gourry go free when Lina and her friends show up. Or when he starts antagonizing them, you can use the Wind Scar to change his mind."

"Nah. We really don't know how that works, don't we? And besides, even if we _did_ release him, Phibrizzo would probably just imprison him again if we ever let him regain control. Lastly, using the Wind Scar repeatedly really tires me out after a while."

"Wow. Good point." Curtis lowered his head. "Well, so much for those ideas..._man,_ I wish I could just wake up from this crazy dream!" he exclaimed, hands trembling in frustration.

Inuyasha smirked. "Can't be of any help to you there, kid...but maybe you could climb to the top of your bookshelf and jump off. Perhaps you'd wake up before you fell---"

"Wait a second," Curtis interrupted, the wheels in his own mind turning. "Dream...nightmare...I've got it!"

"Got _what_?"

"I believe I know of someone who could get us out of this tacky situation, but it'll be pretty risky. You willing to chance it?"

There was a few seconds pause, but those few seconds were all that Inuyasha needed to make a decision. "Alright, I'm game. Let's go for it. What's the plan?"

* * *

Time: Sometime after midnight

Several hours had passed since the incident where Inuyasha had somehow taken control of his body---no doubt because of those...things hidden inside his mind. Even now, Phibrizzo was still thinking about the long conversation he had with Curtis earlier. _If the Lord of Nightmares really will appear on this world, maybe there's an alternative to disrupting the Giga Slave...wait a second. Why am I believing what a HUMAN is telling me? For all I now, this could all be part of some sort of plot._

Phibrizzo shook his head. _Wait a second. No one knows who I really am except for Xellos, Lina and her friends, and my remaining siblings. Xellos isn't fool enough to try this sort of stunt; sure, he's a bit weird, but he's no idiot. Neither Inverse, the chimera, the rival swordsman, the two princesses nor the maiden could have known how to get inside my mind; there's no way a human should be capable of this. Dolphin's more or less resigned to stay loony. Zelas and Dynast are both happy doing whatever they're doing now. That only leaves one choice open: believing that wherever Curtis's from, we're nothing more than works of fiction. It DOES explain how he knew how I met Inverse, the lousy experiences that followed shortly afterward, and the fiasco at the Katharto Mountains in such detail._

_But is he really dreaming, as he says? That's what I want to know. If that's the case, then perhaps nothing he does now will have any lasting effect. He could probably be content just to sit around, watch the goings-on, and listen to that strange music like he's doing now. And that dog man, Inuyasha, could come in handy if I feel like catching my enemies by surprise. If his Wind Scar gave me that serious of a headache, I wonder what kind of damage it would do in open combat? I suppose I overlooked the benefits of his presence, even if I still don't know how HE came here._

_That still leaves the problem of the Lord of Nightmares. Unless I can bring everything else down with me, I don't want my plans turned on me. And if the timetable that Curtis gave me is correct, Inverse will be arriving sometime today! What can I do? How can I salvage the situation?_

Phibrizzo turned his thoughts inward, checking on the inhabitants of his mind. Inuyasha appeared to be asleep against the wall, although his ears still twitched at some unheard sound. In the other chamber, Curtis was...what was he doing?

Taking a closer look, he noted that the chubby human was still listening to that strange music. Now that he was playing closer attention, he also heard various sounds accompanying it. Curtis was sitting in that chair again, but now he was facing the source of the music and sounds...some sort of bright image? Was this another one of those things that found its way inside his head?

After a few minutes, Phibrizzo decided to speak up. "May I ask what that is?"

Curtis turned his head. "Hi. Am I bothering you any?"

"I'm still thinking about things, but I'll admit to being curious about what that thing is in there. What's that supposed to be?"

The human appeared to think about it for several seconds. "I'm not sure if I can explain, but I'll try. Imagine that you're watching a play, and you can see it clearly even from many miles away. Now, imagine that you're able to watch it days, months, or even years after it's ended. You get the idea?"

_I remember what people possessed before the War of the Monsters' Fall, but there was nothing like that. Hmm..._ "Maybe...what sort of play are you watching now?"

"Well, it's not really a _play_, per se. Remember how I told you all the details of the past few days before you met us? This is how I knew it so well. For instance, the last few minutes I've been rewatching a scene where Lina blows up a cave just because everyone there heard her sing for _nothing_. Quite amusing, really."

Focusing a bit more on the image, Phibrizzo didn't say anything. While seeing it, he was reminded of Xellos's account of the experience. And right in front of Curtis was the proof that the account was real! _So he isn't a saboteur of some kind after all. And those costumes...no wonder Xellos was laughing so hard when he told me! Must've been really embarrassing for Inverse!_

After a few seconds, Phibrizzo spoke again. "I guess you're going to be right about what will happen if I provoke Lina too much. I'm going to have to find another way."

"To wreck the world?" Curtis asked accusingly. "That _is_ what you want, right?"

"I'm a mazoku, Curtis," Phibrizzo retorted, folding his arms reflexively. "It's what I do, and it's what I seek. All of my kind's like that."

"I wonder why." Curtis held up a small device and pressed something on it, causing the background noise to stop. "I mean, if I know my history right, you guys and the dragons have been clashing for a few thousand years. Neither race has made any headway, especially with that barrier in the way. What's up with that?"

Phibrizzo frowned. "That thing's just there to keep the dragons from coming in, and the humans from going out. We'll beat our enemies in due time. It'll come eventually."

"Except that the barrier's not going to be as strong as it was before," Curtis answered. "If they combined their strengths, they should be able to punch through."

The frown changed to a grin. "What makes you say that?"

"Remember, you and your siblings were the ones maintaining the barrier; and Gaav was one of them. With him out of the picture, it's been weakened somewhat."

The grin disappeared, but Curtis kept going. "And for the sake of argument, suppose Lina decides she wants through. If she somehow recovered the Sword of Light and combined the Ragna Blade with it, she may very well be able to smash through on her own. In short: hello-o-o-o, dragon frenzy."

Phibrizzo's eyes narrowed. "The Ragna Blade...it's that thing she used against Gaav, wasn't it?"

"Yep. That's the one. Supposed to be able to cut through dimensions."

If it was possible, Phibrizzo would've sunk deeper into his throne; instead he sat back against an armrest, stuck his feet up on the other, and leaned his head against a propped-up hand. "You really have a way of taking the wind out of my sails. Alright, smart guy. You seem to have an answer for everything. How do you suggest I survive an encounter with the Lord of Nightmares?"

Curtis's chair turned to face where his voice entered the chamber. "Well, Phibrizzo, here's what I'm---"

Abruptly, Curtis disappeared. Snapped out of the conversation, Phibrizzo couldn't do anything but blink. But before he could say anything in surprise, Curtis abruptly reappeared inside the mind chamber; the human looked somewhat disoriented, but otherwise okay.

"What was _that_ about?" Phibrizzo muttered.

"Um...how long was I gone?" Curtis inquired.

"About five seconds," the mazoku informed him. "Why'd you surprise me like that?"

"That's funny...I woke up, and I was back home in bed," Curtis murmured, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "I went through my day like usual, then went back to sleep again. And now, here I am..." he shrugged. "Oh, well. Ain't gonna argue. Now, where were we?"

"You were about to tell me how I can keep the Lord of Nightmares from frying me," Phibrizzo answered, his eyes narrowing.

"Oh. Right," Curtis said, scratching his head. "I remember now. Anyhow, here we go..."

_To be continued_


	4. Prologue Part D

WHAT INSERTION?

by Curtis Wildcat

PROLOGUE -- Part D

* * *

Location: Phibrizzo's palace, Sairaag

Time: After midnight--early morning

Phibrizzo's eyes widened a bit at Curtis's suggestion. Why anyone would suggest such a thing to him---to _him_---was utterly absurd. Why even bother? Following through on this idea would mean that he would have to leave everything he knew behind. Granted it wasn't much; the only keepsake he had was a metallic bracelet left over from some prior event, and he was never too fond of his surroundings. The fact remained nonetheless that he wanted to stay where he was.

And yet if he went through on his plans... "Go on," Phibrizzo urged reluctantly. "Just how do you propose we accomplish this...'ultra-dimensional teleportation'?"

"First off, you do what you were originally planning on doing," Curtis told him with steel in his voice. "You drive Lina to desperation and force her to resort to the Giga Slave."

Phibrizzo blinked. "I'm not sure I get it. You're asking me to do what you basically told me _not_ to do."

"I changed my mind. Like I said to you earlier: the Lord of Nightmares shows up right after Lina gets desperate to rescue Gourry and preparations for the Giga Slave are complete. I'm planning on having _her_ send us on our way."

There was a pause as Phibrizzo considered the implications of this; such a manuever would be extremely risky. After a few moments of thoughtful silence, he decided that it would be worth the risk...hopefully. "Go on..."

"She'll know something is wrong when either Inuyasha or myself switch places with you and ask to talk to her. Chances are she'll be willing to help us out; to her, having you exiled to another universe will be just as good as wiping you out altogether, since it'll accomplish the same means of saving Gourry. Even if it isn't as good, I'll talk to her. I understand what we're getting into, but it's pretty much the only chance we've got."

"You really think its worth a try, huh?" Phibrizzo murmured, turning over and staring upwards. "I don't know why I'm trusting you with this. I'm probably making the biggest mistake in my race's history...but all right. Now, you said Inverse was coming tonight, right? Not 'tonight' as in 'this night', but tonight as in...well, you know what I mean."

"Yeah. They'll make an attempt to enter the palace during the day, fail in a very comical way, then succeed during the night." There was a brief pause. "I don't have much else to do until then, so I'm just going to sit back and rewatch some the material I've recollected here. Whether you want to watch or not at some point is up to you."

Phibrizzo nodded, and continued staring at the ceiling. Very soon, he and his unwitting companions would be blasted clear into another universe...if things went the way the chubby human seemed to think they would go. And if they didn't...well, he'd see firsthand soon enough.

The mazoku didn't even bother trying to wipe away the silver drop that brimmed on the edge of one eye, even though his race weren't supposed to possess such things.

Very soon.

* * *

Just as Curtis said, Lina Inverse and two others---the priestess and the rival swordsman---were able to penetrate the palace's outer wall and enter the crystal throne room. For the sake of appearances, Phibrizzo kept up the act until Lina finally started to gather power into her hands. Smiling outwardly, he directed a minor blast into that point and caused a tremendous explosion.

When the dust cleared away, Lina was still there---only she was shining gold; and when Phibrizzo questioned her, the voice that spoke to him wasn't entirely her own.

She had arrived.

Tensing himself, Phibrizzo turned his thoughts inwards. _Alright, you two. If you're going to do this, now's the time!_

He wasn't sure whether to be relieved or nervous when he saw Inuyasha step forward and press _that_ button.

* * *

She knew what she had come here to do. She knew that the one known as Gourry Gabriev was to be restored. She knew and expected that Phibrizzo would attempt to oppose her.

What she didn't expect was that there was someone else in the area: one that was keeping the aforementioned mazoku from attacking her outright. And it wasn't until the change occurred that she finally noticed that Phibrizzo was not entirely himself.

"So you're the Lord of Nightmares, huh?" the voice of Phibrizzo uttered. "Pleasure to meet you at last."

There was a short pause as her power cascaded around her, destroying portions of the domed palace. She stared at the person that stood before her, studying him intently. "You aren't the one I'm seeking to destroy," she finally intoned. "Who are you?"

"My name's Inuyasha," 'Phibrizzo' said, folding his arms away from the sword that he now possessed. "We seem to have encountered a slight problem, and I think your intended target's not very happy about it."

Focusing a little, she could faintly hear a child's voice say: "_That's_ an understatement, dog boy." This was followed quickly by another voice that replied: "You really know how to tick off the hanyou..." Further concentration revealed two rooms where her target was trapped, plus a human who watched the proceedings nervously. _Interesting..._

Finally, she spoke. "Continue, please."

"See, my associate Curtis and I are more or less permenantly stuck inside this little psycho's head. We know what Lina wants you to do, but destroying Phibrizzo takes _us_ out at the same time. If you don't mind, I'd much rather stay alive and see another day."

There was another pause. "I don't see why I have to listen. When Lina Inverse brought me here, she had two intentions: to defeat Phibrizzo, and to rescue the one known as Gourry. I must accomplish those goals."

After a second or so, there was another change. This time, the eyes changed to those of a human's; the hair turned brown, the sword disappeared, and the figure's waistline expanded slightly. She knew that she was now confronting the human, "Curtis" this time. _So they can assume control at any time... I wonder just how long this has been in effect._

"Actually, I have a proposition for you," the human, still with Phibrizzo's voice, told her. "You don't suppose you would mind transferring us to another universe altogether?"

_Transfer between universes? That's an odd request._ "You know I don't need to listen to you. Why should I do this?"

"Reason #1: putting Phibrizzo---and us---into another universe would probably sever his connections with this world, and he would no longer be able to keep Gourry and the others imprisoned. That's one goal accomplished. At the same time, transferring him there when there's nothing he can really do about it would still qualify as a defeat. That's two goals. The second reason: Inuyasha and I would really like to stay alive. We were both brought into this more or less on accident, but we would stay like to stay within Phibrizzo's mind."

_They seem to be legitimate reasons, and their intentions are good._ "Very well, then. Be warned, though: once Phibrizzo is transferred, you can expect no further help from me. The process is completely random, and all connections to this world will shatter like you stated. That means that you and the others will be out of my reach completely. Do you understand?"

"Curtis" nodded. "We talked it over, and we decided to chance it. You'll be able to do this, then?"

"Indeed. Be thankful, though; if it weren't for the memories I absorbed from Inverse, this wouldn't be taking place."

Curtis shrugged. "Whichever's the case, thank you."

_You're more than welcome. Although I won't be there to see it, knowing that the two of you will be reshaping his demented views pleases me._ Raising the hand that didn't have the black sphere hovering above it, she zapped Phibrizzo (_Or the human; it really depends,_ she mused) with a sphere of yellow light. She could feel the crystal prisons of the humans behind her destabalizing, releasing their captives. Over the course of twenty seconds her target faded and disappeared, not even leaving cursory traces behind.

Hearing a startled gasp behind her, she slowly turned and prepared herself for the explanation that was to follow.

* * *

The shockwave of displaced energy that marked Phibrizzo's disappearance rippled across the entire planet. It was not enough to do any harm to anyone, but it left its mark wherever it went.

With two of the five primary energies gone, the barrier that had stood since the War of the Monsters' Fall trembled and collapsed.

Several races of dragons felt the disturbance and sent their fastest scouts to investigate what transpired. By the time they reached the area, however, everyone had left for other locales.

And elsewhere, a waitress figured that someone would be paying her a visit sometime in the next year or so. She shrugged and went about her business, wondering briefly if her wayward sister had something to do with it.

* * *

Many miles away in a hidden palace, an aqua-haired young woman floated within the clutches of insanity. Her eyes were wide open, seeing blackness where marble walls were standing. She muttered and shouted sayings that she could not hear.

The wave of energy rolled through the palace. When it reached the woman, something about it seemed to soothe her heart and mind. Slowly but surely, whatever had been troubling her for centuries disappeared. As it did so she collapsed on the floor, the exhaustion of many a rant overcoming her as the shockwave moved on.

And for possibly the first time in her life, the mazoku dreamed.

* * *

It was not pleasant being surrounded by pitch blackness.

As it was, another switch had violently taken place when the Lord of Nightmares' blast initiated the transfer. Phibrizzo had regained control, and Curtis had been forcefully thrown out of the "Switch" area and nearly clear into the hallway. Earlier, after giving control to Curtis, Inuyasha had stepped clear; but this didn't stop him from needing to jam Tetsusaiga into the ground. He wanted to be awake when things started happening again, and being blown away wouldn't help at all.

As for Phibrizzo himself, the unhappy mazoku had lost consciousness immediately; this caused the blackness. Although there wasn't any way to tell what time it was, Inuyasha felt that it had to have been at least a half-hour since it started. Finally getting upset, he yelled: "I can't see! Where're the stupid lights already!"

The metallic ceiling panels started glowing a soft white, surprising Inuyasha for a second. _Not what I had in mind, but it'll do,_ Inuyasha thought. _At least now I can see._

Looking outside, he confirmed that it was still dark. He could hear some voices outside, so that must mean Phibrizzo's hearing was functional. Stepping closer to the viewport, he strained his ears so he could tell who was talking.

"Hey! Is he okay?" "There's another one over there!" "This must've happened at the same time." "I wonder who did this?" "Wake up, kid. Are you alright?"

Apprehensively, he loosened the Tetsusaiga from the ground and sheathed it, then walked over to the panel of buttons on the wall. "Better 'wake up, kid'," Inuyasha growled, pushing a button labeled 'Wakeup Call'.

The exterior view began to brighten, and Inuyasha walked over to see if Curtis was watching this. After confirming that the human hadn't been jarred into the same unconsciousness Phibrizzo had been under, he gazed outside and started wondering what random universe the Lord of Nightmares had placed them in...

* * *

_Conclusion of Prologue. Story soon to commence_


	5. Chapter One Part A

WHAT INSERTION?

by Curtis Wildcat

Chapter One, Part A  
Got A Problem or Two?

* * *

"Wake up, kid. You alright?"

After a few seconds, the second kid started to show signs of life. The officer who found him watched as he propped himself up on his elbows and looked around him with an expression that could only be described as amazement. He didn't even bother looking at him; he seemed transfixed by the night sky and the buildings around him.

For a few minutes, the officer watched the kid as he sat unmoving. _Can't imagine any shops where he got his clothes,_ the officer thought. _Looks like something out of some sort of fantasy novel._ He shook his head. _I should've given up reading those books a long time ago; it's starting to mess with my head._

After a few more seconds, the kid breathed a relieved sigh. His voice quiet and hoarse, he spoke: "Your plan worked. You actually convinced her to release us. The next question is: where are we now?"

The officer stared at him. _What is he talking about?_ He shrugged. _Oh, well. Now we have to find this kid's parents and ask what he's been doing out so late on his own._

He reached out a hand, intending to help the kid up. "Excuse me, kid. You need help?"

The kid's head spun around and faced him eye-to-eye. "Who are you?"

* * *

Before Curtis or Inuyasha could answer Phibrizzo's question, a mature voice asked: "Excuse me, kid. You need help?" 

When their host's head turned, both of them noticed who was speaking to them: a Japanese policeman. However, they both felt the sudden need to take over when Phibrizzo asked suspiciously: "Who are you?"

"I'm Officer Bent," the officer said. "You need help getting up?"

When Phibrizzo hesitated for a moment, Inuyasha spoke up. "He's giving you help, kid. We don't know where we are, so take it where you can get it."

_Will you be quiet? I get the stupid point! _Phibrizzo growled mentally. He accepted the officer's hand and got pulled up. _I just don't like humans, that's all._

"You got off easy," Officer Bent told him. "There was another kid who looked like he got attacked from behind; the others are waking him up now. I'm surprised nothing's happened to you."

Phibrizzo shrugged, saying nothing and not letting his expression give anything away.

"Anyway kid, where do you live? It's a little late for you to be out and about," the officer said.

"If I knew, I'd tell you," Phibrizzo answered flatly. "I fell asleep, and the next thing I knew was you waking me up."

Officer Bent frowned, tapping his chin. "What about your parents?"

_Guys? I need a little help here,_ Phibrizzo thought, slightly nervous. _I'm not too good at pulling the "sad puppy eye" deal.

* * *

_  
Inuyasha smirked as he took another look at the rows of buttons. "One quick save coming up. Paper, rock, _scissors!_" Jabbing a button labeled "Teary Eyes", he turned to look at Curtis. "Well, at least we know that its one of those 'modern-day' worlds."

Curtis nodded as the viewport became slightly distorted. "Yeah, but which one?"

* * *

Officer Bent stepped back a bit as the kid's eyes clouded over and allowed tears to pour down his face. "Mom and Dad are gone," the child whimpered. 

_Hmm...parentless, and apparently homeless as well. I feel sorry for him; who knows what he's experienced since then?_ "I see. Kid, what's your name?"

The kid wiped his eyes. "It's Phibrizzo," he choked out. "No last name."

"Strange name."

Phibrizzo tilted his head. "I came from a strange family. Dad said once that he wanted a name no one's tried before."

The officer nodded. "Well, kid, the best I can---"

"Hey! Get that kid back here! He's injured!" Bent's partner shouted, catching his attention.

* * *

Curtis perked up a bit on hearing that exclamation. _Sounds vaguely familiar. Where did I hear that before?_

_

* * *

_

Phibrizzo's head turned towards the source of the voice. "Who's that guy talking about? Me?"

Bent shook his head. "No. Remember that other kid I told you about? My partner and another officer were supposed to wake him up and see if he was alright. Sounds like he _wasn't_ alright, got scared and ran off." He gave Phibrizzo a once-over. "You look okay except for some redness on your arms and face. Doesn't look too serious, but you should be careful in the sun for a little while."

_Standing too close to the Lord of Nightmares can do that to a guy._ "Okay, so now what?"

The officer tapped his chin for a second. "Well, the best I can do at this point is to drop you off at an orphanage. From there, we can see if anyone's willing to adopt you. You willing to go through this?"

Phibrizzo hesitated for a second. "Can I have a minute to think about this?"

"Sure. Just try not to take too long, okay?" Officer Bent smiled at him, then pulled out a small device and started speaking into it. Phibrizzo toned him out as he contacted the duo inside his head.

_Guys, I hate to admit it, but I need your help again. Curtis, you probably know this better than Inuyasha._ His voice became curious. _What's an orphanage?_

There was a crashing noise inside his head. Checking to see what it was, he noticed that Curtis had somehow fallen forward onto his face. "Phibrizzo," the human groaned as he pushed himself up, "you have a _lot_ to learn about how humans operate nowadays. To start you off, the orphanage is basically a place for kids to stay until someone else is willing to take them in. There's more to it, but that's the gist of it. Get it?"

Phibrizzo nodded. _So I should just do what the guy says before we decide what to do next?_

"With a person like him," Inuyasha stated, "that's usually a good idea. I may not know a whole lot about this time, but I do know that people like him are around to help make sure there's no trouble."

Another nod; with that, Phibrizzo cut the connection and looked up at Officer Bent. "Okay, sir. I'll do it."

* * *

Right when the Officer started up the car to head to the orphanage, the first thing Phibrizzo did was clench the seat with both hands; the sound and motion of the strange contraption carrying him to the "orphanage" was enough to temporarily terrify him. 

Meanwhile, Curtis had gone back to his own chamber to wait out the ride. Examining the controls and screens on the side opposite the entertainment center, he saw what Phibrizzo was doing. "Easy there," Curtis said calmly. "There's no need to be afraid."

_Easy for YOU to say!_ Phibrizzo snapped mentally. _What is this stupid contraption, anyway?_

"I believe the modern-day citizens of this country call it a 'car'," Inuyasha explained.

Curtis ignored the sarcasm. "I can't really explain how it works; it gets somewhat technical, and I don't get it much myself. All I can say is that it makes for a nice way of getting around." He turned his attention back to the controls, fiddling with them for a few seconds before focusing one of the screens on the driver. "Just sit back and enjoy the ride, and you'll get to the orphanage soon enough."

Although Officer Bent didn't hear the conversation, it was easy for him to note Phibrizzo's nervousness as well. "First time in a car?"

"Yeah," Phibrizzo groaned, shuddering violently. He was no longer clutching the car seat out of fright, but covering his eyes didn't prove to be any better.

"Just take it easy, kid," Bent said soothingly, not taking his eyes off the road. "Don't be scared. It'll be alright."

Slowly, Phibrizzo removed his hands from his face. _Yeah. Maybe it won't be so bad. Heh...maybe it'll be like enrolling with one of those theatrical troupes and taking up acting,_ he added, his eyes twinkling with suppressed laughter. He head turned a bit, noting the passing scenery. _Never seen so many tall buildings before; these make the towers built by the dragon race seem puny. How do they manage that?_

"You're asking the wrong guys," Curtis said. "I'm no engineer."

Phibrizzo ignored him as he continued looking around him. _Guess this is what it amounts to when humans are the dominant race on the planet. During one of my personal missions, I stayed in a town packed with humans. Man, they were so easy to fool..._

Half-listening to Phibrizzo's monologue, Curtis adjusted one of the monitors in front of him so that the screen's view aimed out the side of the mazoku's head. "This is neat," he told himself. "I can't understand more than a few Japanese words when I'm awake, but when I'm in here its as if the signs are running subtitles through my brain. I should ask Inuyasha for more clarification, though."

He continued watching this as Phibrizzo rambled on. _...the mayor had the nerve to ask me what I knew about those artifacts. It was humiliating having to hold in a sharp reply, but I needed to keep him and the others busy long enough in order to fulfill my true objective: to ensure that Dynast's minions had enough time to drain the artifacts' power and---_

"Um, Phibrizzo?"

Curtis looked up, slightly startled out of his thoughts. It took a moment for him to realize that Officer Bent had spoken to Phibrizzo. "Yes?" came the mazoku's answer.

"We're here," Bent said. "I'll speak with the owner, then I'll be leaving you here and heading back to see if my partner found that other kid. I'm pretty sure you'll be able to handle it here until someone adopts you."

_Well, here goes._ "Okay. Thanks a ton."

* * *

The owner of the orphanage was a bit surprised when she first met Phibrizzo. After introducing herself, the first thing she asked was: "How'd you know there's a costume party going on in our study hall?" 

One of Phibrizzo's eyebrows raised. "I didn't. This is how I always dress."

In the back of his mind, he heard Curtis sharply snap something like "Dough!" He made a mental note to ask him about that later, turning his attention back to the lady.

"Um...why do you dress like that? Boys your age don't pick that kind of attire."

"I don't have anything else, for one thing," Phibrizzo told her. "Besides, I've gotten somewhat used to it by now."

The lady shook her head. "We can fix that later. For now, you can meet most of the other children here and get something to eat; you look like you haven't had a decent meal in quite a while."

Phibrizzo blinked. _She can actually tell? Even though I don't eat that much, its not like I have an actual stomach or anything._ Shoving that aside, he nodded. "Okay."

As the two of them walked the short distance towards the study hall, Phibrizzo had something to ask someone else. _Alright, what was with that 'dough' thing earlier?_

"That wasn't 'dough'," Curtis said, displeased. "That was 'd'oh!' It's much sharper, spoken loudly, and used to indicate exasparation at a mistake, an accident, or stupidity. You took a big risk saying that; do we really need awkward questions being asked about where you're from and what not?"

_Okay, okay! sigh You can stop jumping down my throat whenever I do something stupid. I can shoulder the responsibility myself!_

"We can worry about who's being stupid later," Inuyasha spoke up. "In the meantime, don't we have a party to enjoy?"

* * *

It hadn't taken long for Phibrizzo to decide that the atmosphere of a party just wasn't for him. Silently conversing with Curtis and Inuyasha, he found out that they weren't much of party people either. The reason why none of them didn't seem to enjoy things too much was standing a meter in front of them, talking at high speed and ignoring the mazoku's discomfort. 

_I don't like girls,_ Phibrizzo muttered to the people he still called "parasites". _I don't like them at all. Do they attend some sort of school in order to learn how to be extremely cute? Its making my insides churn!_

"You don't have any insides, but that's not the point," Curtis said, nibbling at what looked like a cheese sandwich. "For most of them, acting all cutesy comes naturally. You're capable of it too, you know."

Phibrizzo sighed. _Great; can't believe I've been reduced to this. Whatever happened to the ferocity and evil tendencies I used to have?_

"We'll tell you about that later," Inuyasha said before his host could get depressed. "There's food and stuff over there. If he's right, it's not like you can actually get sick by it or anything...so there shouldn't be any harm in picking something at random. Go on and try it already!"

Unsure at Inuyasha's spoken suggestion, Phibrizzo reached over and grabbed a cup. Ignoring the chatterbox near them, he filled it up with a liquid which Curtis identified as "fruit punch". Hesitating for a few seconds, he sipped at it. Blinking once or twice at the tanginess, he downed the rest of the drink in one go.

* * *

Inuyasha looked up suddenly as the ceiling, walls, and floor started to glow a bright green. "What on earth..." he growled. "Phibrizzo!" 

There wasn't any response.

"Hey, kid!" he shouted, knocking on the wall behind him. "You still there?"

Only two words answered him:

"**So...sweet...**"

Curtis could be heard laughing from the opposite chamber. Inuyasha shook his head. "What's with these people?" he muttered, wondering what was happening.

* * *

The instant he swallowed the drink, Phibrizzo knew that he would eventually regret it; he could feel a sudden surge of energy pulsating through him, threatening to send him on a mad dash throughout the orphanage. 

But for now, he didn't care what would happen; it was bliss.

He could hear what the people around him were saying. "He's acting like he's never had fruit punch before..." "He looks the part, that's for sure..." "What, the fruit punch or the costume?" "Both." "Does he look okay? He has that weird smile on his face."

"**So...sweet...**" Phibrizzo heard himself say, his awareness going dim.

In the back of his mind, one of the two occupants was chortling loudly. This didn't last very long, and after a minute or so Phibrizzo found the buzz diminishing a little. He shook his head to clear what was left, saying: "Wow. That was too much of a rush." _We're going to have to talk again later, guys. That just wasn't natural._

Two things happened at the same time. First, the girl next to him asked if he was alright, to which Phibrizzo answered in the affirmative. Second, a middle-aged man in a dragon costume got up from where he was sitting and approached him. "Excuse me, young man. May I have a word with you, please?"

Puzzled, Phibrizzo slowly nodded his head. This couldn't be a coincidence; he'd barely been in the room for ten minutes. Surely the man couldn't want to adopt him that quickly, right? Unsure of what else to think, he followed the man towards the other end of the room, grateful to be away from the female chatterbox; her face looked too much like Amelia's as far as he was concerned.

* * *

After speaking with the dragon-costumed man---during which Phibrizzo had to restrain himself from making several sarcastic remarks---he was convinced that everyone was out to get him. 

Apparently the man had lost his only son to some sort of sickness several weeks back, and had dropped in to visit the orphanage from time to time since then seeking to dispel his wife's grief. He couldn't find the right person to fit the family's needs, but he kept on coming, knowing that someone would show up sooner or later.

It just so happened that Phibrizzo happened to appear. The man told him that if he hadn't caught the attention of everyone around him, he probably would've missed him.

As the man began signing the adoption papers and getting information from the orphanage's owner, the disgruntled "kid" started a conversation of his own. _So I'm supposed to be spending time with him? You and your ideas, fatso!_

"Come off it, Phibrizzo," Inuyasha shot back. "Leave him alone. He's just suggesting what's best for us, okay?"

Phibrizzo's tone took on a pleading edge to it. _But I'm supposed to be a mazoku, not an average "human"! Why have I lost my edge? Why am I even going along with your plans, anyway? I'm the one who's supposed to be in control around here!_

"Remember what the Lord of Nightmares said before she zapped us here? You're not connected to your homeworld anymore, in case you forgot," Curtis reminded him. "The elements that were available to sustain you back then are not available here; being here has basically turned you partially **human**. I found that out when you drank the fruit punch a few minutes ago."

Phibrizzo almost screamed, although he was careful enough to restrict his temper to his mind and not show it outwardly. _How could you possibly have figured that out!_

"It's just a theory," Curtis said. "I'll tell it to you later after everyone thinks you're asleep, okay? Now, perk up. It looks like he's done signing the papers. Off you go!"

* * *

As Phibrizzo got up and followed the man out the door, Curtis could hear Inuyasha sigh quietly over the speaker. "Things have certainly been problematic for this kid, haven't they?" 

Curtis nodded. "No kidding," he murmured, looking on as the metal walls and ceiling glowed a soft red for a few seconds. Reminding himself quietly to figure what that was about, he returned his attention to the nearby monitors---

and vanished.

* * *

Even though he was still simmering from the knowledge that he wasn't a complete mazoku anymore, Phibrizzo could still tell when one of his occupants disappeared. It would've been alright with him if Curtis never returned, but the human was back in his head by the time he settled into the man's car. _I really wish you'd stop that,_ he stated. 

Curtis looked around for a few seconds, then seemed to remember where he was. Gathering himself, he stared towards Phibrizzo's line of sight. "You mean disappear like that? It's not like I have any control over the time I wake up back home."

Something twitched at the edge of Phibrizzo's conscious thoughts. "Home..." He shook his head, not wanting to distract himself. He didn't care whether he was part-human or not; in his mind, he was a complete mazoku as far as he was concerned.

His new stepfather heard him say this as the car pulled out of the parking lot and drove on. "That's right. We'll be arriving at your new home shortly. I think you'll like it there."

Phibrizzo folded his arms over his chest and stared at the front seat. "Um, excuse me for asking, 'step-dad', but you never told me what your name was before this started."

A nervous chuckling ensued from the brown-haired man, who had moved back the hood on his costume. "I guess I got so wrapped up and excited about bringing someone home that I forgot to tell you; I'm sorry. My name's Marcus Kaden."

* * *

_Curious and curiouser,_ Curtis mused, absently tossing a pen in the air. _I **know** I've heard that name before, but where...?_

_

* * *

_

"Hmm...Phibrizzo Kaden. Sounds a bit unusual, but...what do you think?" Marcus asked thoughtfully.

"It's okay," Phibrizzo murmured. _He thinks **that's** unusual?_

Marcus nodded. "Glad you like it. Now, my wife has a habit of going to bed early; we're going to have to wait until tomorrow before you can meet her. By the way, did you already go to school before you came to the orphanage?"

"No, I haven't," Phibrizzo replied. "I know how to read and write in both English and..."

"_Japanese_," Inuyasha's voice growled.

"Japanese, and do some math, but other than that..." _Everything else I know probably won't be of much use here in this world, anyway._

After a momentarily pause, his new stepfather finally answered him. "I see. We'll have to bring you up to speed on what you've missed; when we register you at one of the schools, I'll tell your new teacher what you know already. I have to say, though, being able to read and write in both languages is pretty amazing at your age."

Phibrizzo shrugged. "Nothing big; just a talent." _And its not the only talent I've got, but you don't need to know that, do you?_

From the man's expression in the mirror, Phibrizzo could tell he was smiling a little at his remark. "One last thing: is it true those clothes you have now are all you have?"

A nod. "Yes. These clothes, this wristband, and this bracelet are all I have. If you don't mind, 'father', I'd like to keep them."

"I don't have any problems with that, but you'll still need a few extra things from the store; otherwise, you won't blend in too well with the others. There should still be a place open. Do you want to come with me, or would you prefer to go home and get some sleep?"

Phibrizzo put one hand near his mouth thoughtfully. _I should go with him; its not like I have to sleep much anyway. You guys know that._

"Tell him that you'd like to go to your new home and have him go on ahead," Inuyasha spoke, smiling. "He's less liable to worry when we go on our little tour."

"A little tour?" Curtis asked. "Inuyasha, what are you thinking?"

"I'll tell you when we get there," Inuyasha said. "But for what I'm thinking we should do, we should try to at least get the layout of the surrounding area."

_I don't know about you guys..._ "Could you take me 'home', please? Um...father?" _I've got to get used to calling him that!_

Marcus nodded. "All right. As long as I'm taking you there, I can show you where you can sleep."

Phibrizzo didn't answer, instead staring out the window at the passing buildings. _I'll never get used to this...

* * *

_  
Not long after their conversation, the two of them arrived at Marcus's home: a decent two-story house surrounded by variations on the same theme. After giving Phibrizzo a brief tour of the house and showing him where he could sleep for the night, Marcus said "good night" and left to see what open clothing stores he could find.

As Phibrizzo stretched out on the small bed, he gazed at his new room (sparse as of now, but that would change eventually). _When he wants to get something done, he doesn't kid around, does he? _

"No, he doesn't," Curtis said, his mind preoccupied. "Inuyasha, what are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking we take a little tour," Inuyasha explained. "We need to know our way around, right? While that guy's gone and your new stepmother asleep, could you ask for a better time to find out?"

"I suppose so..." Curtis mumbled to himself. Phibrizzo wasn't too sure about the idea; he'd been hoping somewhat for Curtis to clue him in some more about what to expect in the 'modern-day' world.

"I'll take that as yes." Inuyasha folded his arms triumphantly and smiled. "Phibrizzo, look out the window for me, could you?"

Arching an eyebrow, Phibrizzo stood on the bed and opened one of the windows. He leaned outside, craned his head left and right, then pulled himself back in. "Now what?" he asked quietly.

"Shouldn't be a problem." Inuyasha stepped towards one side of the chamber...the side with the buttons on it. "That fence there is easily inside my jumping range."

Something in Phibrizzo's mind clicked, and his eyes widened. _Wait a second! **Your** jumping range?_

"Yeah, that's right. To accomplish this, I believe a little roof-hopping is in order!"

_Hold on! I never said you could do..._

It was too late by that point; Inuyasha had pressed the button labeled "Switch", putting himself in Phibrizzo's place. As for his host, he had to finish his sentence inside the pillar of green liquid. _...that. Oh, no.

* * *

_  
Inuyasha stretched his arms, taking in the breeze that filtered through the window. "Great to be out here again," he whispered as a small strand of white hair fell in front of his eye. Pushing it away, he took a quick look down at his side to confirm that the Tetsusaiga was hanging there. Smiling, he pulled himself onto the window ledge and propelled himself onto the fence. From there, he leaped straight up onto the roof of the next house and started to build up his speed...

"Let's see what this place is made of!"

* * *

_To be continued_


	6. Chapter One Part B

WHAT INSERTION?

by Curtis Wildcat

Chapter One, Part B

---Lessons in Tokyo

--------

Place: Unknown Earth, Tokyo, Japan

Time: Late Evening

--------

The professor was used to unusual sights; his studies in geography and anthropology had prepared him for these in many ways. He was one of those people who could probably say he'd seen it all and not be rebuked for it by his colleagues. However, nothing could've prepared him for the phone call he received that night from a long-time friend of his.

"Hello, Gerald." Even without being able to see his face, the professor could tell that his caller seemed rushed. "I doubt you're going to believe this..."

"I'm pretty sure I will," Gerald interrupted. "What is it?"

"I was finishing up grading some of my students' papers when something landed on top of my home. When I looked outside, I caught a glimpse of this white-haired kid in English medieval attire jumping from rooftop to rooftop. He had a sword with him, of all things."

Gerald remained silent for a moment, not sure what to say. "You're not going to laugh, are you?" his friend asked.

"No, I'm not going to laugh," Gerald finally said. "I'm sure there's a perfectly logical explanation behind all this."

A sigh. "You don't believe me, do you?"

Gerald nodded. "Right. I don't believe you."

"It's true, though! I know what I saw, Gerald! Can't you just contact the police and tell them there's a strange kid wandering around with a sword? Who knows what would happen?"

"Look, Mark---"

A barely audible thump caught Gerald's attention before he could talk down his friend. Dropping the phone, he raced to the window. Sure enough, there was something leaping from building to building along the street; it looked vaguely like a white-haired child moving at inhuman speeds, and it matched the description that his friend Mark just provided.

Slowly moving back to where he was before, Gerald slowly walked back to where he was sitting before and picked the phone back up. "Mark? Are you still there?"

"Yes, Gerald. What just happened?"

"I think you know what just happened. Do you have Inspector Maguire's work number?"

--------

"I don't like this," Curtis kept repeating to himself, holding onto his chair with as iron a grip as he could manage. "Not at all."

"What's not to like?" Inuyasha growled as he continued to circle the area, paying no mind to the occasional car that drove by. "I do this all the time."

"Easy for you to say," Curtis snapped. "You're not the one scared of heights around here. Noooo. You're making twenty-foot jumps and making it look routine!"

"Pipe down, would you? I'm trying to see if there's anything going on here we need to know about, and you should do the same!"

"You're really incorrigible," Phibrizzo's voice grumbled over the speaker. "I'd been hoping Curtis would tell me more about this world, and you're not helping very much. How soon are we going back?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "_How soon?_ We couldn't have been out here for more than ten minutes!"

Curtis didn't like being reminded of that. _Feels more like an hour._

A sharp cry caught Inuyasha's attention, and he slowed to a stop. "Someone's being attacked," he snarled, turning his head a bit. "I'd recognize the smell of fear anywhere."

"Leave it to dog boy to recognize the situation by its scent. What, the scream didn't give it away?"

"Ssssh!" Curtis hissed.

Inuyasha bolted in the direction of the scream, halting when he reached a ledge that overlooked its source. "Typical," he growled quietly, peeking over the edge before stepping back. "Why is it that every time night falls, someone feels obliged to attack or rob any random people?"

Curtis nodded. "Looked like a young jerk with a knife doing something stupid. It's bad enough he has to rob someone, but to rob a woman with a couple kids looking on? That's just asking for trouble a la police. He's got three people right there in front of him who could describe him to them."

"They won't need to."

"Why not?" Phibrizzo and Curtis asked in unison.

"Because he's not getting away."

Both of them imagined that confident smirk of Inuyasha's as he jumped from the ledge and landed directly in the young punk's path.

-----------

The young man didn't really like people much; he'd been mistreated throughout his youth, and he'd gotten bad grades in school consistently. Those were merely the sparks that led to him spiraling downward into despair.

Right now, he needed to find some way to make ends meet. Relieving this woman of her money seemed the way to go.

There was a sudden shout from one of the kids, and then another person landed right in front of the would-be robber. Overcoming his initial shock, his eyes narrowed. "Out of my way."

"If you even think about harming these people, you're going to have _me_ to deal with," the white-haired kid brashly warned. He laid one hand on what appeared to be a beaten-up sword.

_Man, this kid's **way** out of date._ "I said, get out of my way!" the punk shouted, taking a step towards him.

The kid looked up at him and shook his head; for a brief moment, the punk thought that his eyes actually glittered. "Why does everyone always want to do it the hard way?" the kid muttered, tightening his grip on the sword and unsheathing it fully. There was a brief glare as the sword changed shape...

-----------

The woman was nothing short of stunned as she mentally reviewed the events leading up to where she was now. A punk with a knife cornered her and her two kids before they could enter their home, and was demanding her money. Another person, this one the strangest kid she'd ever seen (_White hair and ancient-looking clothes? Bizarre!_, she thought) had jumped in front of her and blocked her assailant's path.

What clinched it for her was that **_huge_** sword that came from out of nowhere. _I'm dreaming,_ her brain kept telling her. _So are you._

The more logical part of the woman's mind shook it off as the smaller kid charged forward. The teenage attacker must've been as shocked as she was at the appearance of the sword, because he remained rooted where he was until the kid knocked him off his feet with a sweep kick. _He probably just wanted to intimidate the other person. I don't know where he got such a big sword, but how can he even hold such a thing, let alone actually run with it? It doesn't make sense!_

As for her attacker, he remained where he hit the ground, his knife forgotten and his speech temporarily impaired. The other kid's head turned slightly. "Hey, lady! Are you going to get the police over here, or aren't you? I don't want to watch him all night!"

Forcing herself to nod, the woman unlocked the door and entered the house, intent on reaching the phone. Her kids trailed behind her reluctantly, cheering as they entered the safe confines of their home.

-----

"Looking back on what happened a few minutes ago, I'm glad you decided not to use the Tetsusaiga after all," Curtis said, slowly munching on something. "You have no idea how much lawn and driveway repairs cost around here."

Inuyasha didn't keep his eyes off the cowering would-be thief as he heard the noisy sirens approaching. He didn't like the concept of money, but he decided to take that up with Curtis some other time.

"You guys still use gold and silver to pay for things, or has that changed too?" Phibrizzo asked from his spot in the green pillar.

"Phibrizzo, the economics of this world are so messed up that 'complex' doesn't even begin to describe them," Curtis told him as he finished eating whatever it was. "Where I'm from, we use paper money and coins containing very little silver. Just don't get me started about inflation and overspending and things of that nature."

"You're right. I don't understand that at all."

"Better hang tight, Phibrizzo. It's going to be a long ride."

The noise level reached its peak as the police car parked in front of the house. The doors opened, releasing several cops. They ran towards the two of them, but quickly halted when they noticed Inuyasha. "Excuse m-me, but..." one of the policemen stuttered.

"This is the guy you're looking for," Inuyasha said, sheathing the Tetsusaiga and noting that the woman he'd rescued had come out of the house. "The people in the house behind me asked for you to get over here. I was just holding down the fort."

Slowly nodding their heads, the cops went to work. One of them raised the hoodlum up, snapped handcuffs on him, and led him away; the other one went to question the woman about what transpired. Inuyasha turned away and was about to leap onwards when a call from the first policeman stopped him. "Excuse me, kid?"

Inuyasha bristled for a second, but reminded himself that he both looked and sounded like a kid...albeit a kid with messed-up white hair and a huge sword, but still a kid. "Yeah?"

"You wouldn't happen to be from the Nerima district by any chance, would you?"

Inuyasha blinked. Inside, so did Curtis. It was the former who did the talking, though. "I...don't think so. How come?"

The policeman shrugged. "It's just that with the sword, hair and all, I thought you were one of the weirdos from that area. Just a thought."

Inuyasha didn't bother responding, opting to jump up to the house's roof instead and resume his trek. _Hey, Curtis. How long did we watch that punk for?_

After a few seconds, he got his response. "About ten minutes. It's been a bit more than twenty since we left."

"Can we just go on back?" Phibrizzo complained. "Like right now? What if 'father' is on a roll and makes it back sooner than we think?"

"You guys worry too much." Despite this remark, Inuyasha altered his route a bit so that it led straight back towards their new residence. "I didn't think you cared about such things. When our paths collided, you seemed a lot meaner. What's with that?"

Phibrizzo didn't bother replying to that. He wasn't really sure he liked the answer to that question, anyway.

-----------

Place: Kaden residence

Time: Late evening

After a few minutes more, Inuyasha was able to return to the Kaden residence and slip back into their new room without anyone noticing. Phibrizzo's worries were unfounded; his foster father must not have gotten back yet. The hanyou rematerialized back inside the mental chamber; upon doing so, he sat down several meters away from the 'switch' area, smiling briefly.

Phibrizzo stretched as he regained control, kicking his boots onto the floor. "Finally," he whispered, closing the window and digging into the bedcovers. His eyes remained open, though, and narrowed as his first question occurred to him. _Alright, you two. First things first: what do you mean when you say I'm 'half-human'?_

After a few seconds without either of them saying anything, Phibrizzo was almost ready to ask aloud...and then this strange music began playing. After listening to it for a few seconds, he thought that it sounded rather...ominous. Shaking his head, he asked: _Now that you've decided to try to creep me out, could you answer my question?_

**(BGM -- Opening narrative segment, from "Metroid Fusion")**

"Sorry about that...thought it would be neat to have some background music. Anyway, the 'half-human' line's exactly what it sounds like," Curtis explained, walking away from the wall and returning to his chair. "Thanks to your link with your world being broken, you've basically become a mix of two races. As far as I can tell, you've got a partial digestive system and a few senses; there may be more, but that's all I can think of right now. You can taste things now, but the system stops at the stomach. After that, everything left is turned to energy. In some cases, the process goes a lot faster than that...but I'll get to that later."

"You mean like when he drank that stuff earlier?" Inuyasha asked.

"Yep. Means he'll have to be careful not to drink too much fruit punch, etc. or else he'd be a typical victim of a sugar rush." A large cup appeared in Curtis's hand. "Speaking of fruit punch, I think I'll have some myself," he added, following his statement with a few gulps.

_Shame, really. That drink **was** rather tangy. What about that part about the "senses"?_

Curtis stopped drinking and set the cup down. "Well, after I woke up last time, I looked up stuff on nerves and skin and what not. Basically nerves send information from different parts of the body to other parts, like from the brain to the stomach."

_Explains why you're always eating or drinking something each time I look at you._ Phibrizzo chuckled a bit, both mentally and audibly.

Curtis didn't take offense at that statement, although Phibrizzo was sure that a large sweatdrop rolled down the side of his head. "Anyhow, when certain skin areas are touched lightly, it sets off some kind of minor nervous reaction. Reflexes kick in, and a laugh response is triggered...basically, it's not really pretty."

_Meaning what?_

"Simply put, it means you're ticklish," Curtis deadpanned, drinking some more of the fruit punch.

Inuyasha snickered, then almost fell over laughing. "That's rich! That is really rich!"

_I don't see what's so funny about this!_ Phibrizzo said indignantly, tightening his grip on one of the blankets. _Sounds humiliating to me!_

"Maybe so, but it's still nice to have a sense of humor." Curtis looked around for a few seconds. "Any other questions?"

Phibrizzo expressed an annoyed sigh. He was _definitely_ not pleased. _Okay, I've got one. That guy said I'd be going to one of the local schools starting tomorrow. What's the school system like?_

Curtis shrugged. "You mean here in Japan? I have no idea. Next time I wake up, I ought to check into that; maybe the one you're attending's similar to the elementary school I went to at that age. Inuyasha, what I told him earlier isn't _that_ funny."

Inuyasha settled down, although he had to struggle to keep his smirk from becoming a grin. "Whatever you say, pal. Whatever you say. Just let me know when it's over, would you?"

"Okay, sure. On the other side of the whole 'half-human' equation, Phibrizzo, you can't destroy stuff just by snapping your fingers anymore. Most of your energy was dispersed when you arrived, meaning that you can't switch back and forth between your current form and your mazoku form...essentially, you're stuck. I noticed that when I discovered how long it had been between the time the Lord of Nightmares sent us here and when you woke up. If you'd kept your energy, you would've awakened right away."

Phibrizzo's grip on the blanket clenched even tighter, and his eyes narrowed again. _I think I'm starting to regret letting you talk to her._

"That's a really dumb thing to say," Inuyasha growled before Curtis could respond. "You know what would've happened if you carried out your plans without us butting in. I haven't seen the proof of it myself, but from what I've heard it sounds nasty. Just give the human life a shot, would you? You might actually enjoy it."

_This coming from **you**? What do **you** know about the human life, anyway?_

Inuyasha smiled knowingly. "You'll see. I think Curtis knows what I mean, right?"

Curtis nodded. "You can get used to it if you only tried, Phibrizzo. You've observed how humans in your world interacted with everything around them, and now you get that chance yourself in a new one. Bad habits aside, I think that even in your condition you'll be able to have some fun...and so will we."

_How so?_ Phibrizzo thought, scoffing.

"Your constitution, aside from what you picked up on your arrival, is still mazoku; you don't need to worry about this world's typical criminals. And note that I didn't say that _all_ your energy was gone; you've still got some left. Don't get the wrong idea, though; it's going to be strictly for self-defense only. Inuyasha's gonna see to that."

_Heh. If I don't have anything more to fear than humans with simplistic weapons, what do I have to worry about?_

"Keeping a handle on your desire for people's negative emotions."

Phibrizzo's eyes widened. _What for?_ he asked, trying not to panic. _I can't just forget about needing them! If I'm not allowed to have any, I'll shrivel away into nothing!_

"You won't need them. Why do you think that stomach of yours is there? Besides, I think depression's bad for it anyway. If what that officer said earlier is right...eh, skip it. Anyhow, while you're at school later, I'm going to see if I can get some more things set up in here. Try to act like a normal kid while you're there, okay? And don't let the comments of others bother you."

After a few seconds, Phibrizzo's eyes returned to their normal width. "Curtis...I despise you," he grumbled audibly.

"So what else is new?" Curtis shrugged, then stretched and got up. "We've got plenty of time before sunrise, so I'm going to find some things to do," he said, switching off the background music...and replacing it with something else.

Phibrizzo blinked, then relaxed slightly. His eyes slowly fell closed as he focused entirely on what was happening within. _That actually sounds neat...better than that ominous stuff. What music is that, anyway?_ he asked, noting that a dim glow allowed his two passengers to see.

**(BGM - Sonata No.8 op. 13 in C minor)**

"Classical music. A man named Beethoven wrote it close to two centuries ago." Curtis sat down again and quickly gulped down the rest of the fruit punch. Pausing for a minute as the music continued, he focused for a bit. Several boxes with colorful labels appeared next to him. "Hey, Inuyasha?"

"That's me. You guys done yakking yet?"

"For now, anyway. Want to come over here? I've got a few games here that I'd like to show you."

-----

The rest of the night was uneventful, aside from another of Curtis's brief disappearing acts. Marcus had returned home not long after the trio's discussion and had went to check on his foster son. To all outward appearances he seemed to be asleep, so Marcus had walked away with a pleased smile.

What he didn't know was that while the half-mazoku's eyes were closed, Phibrizzo was silently trying to decide whether to have Inuyasha attack the Curtis-controlled area of Western Australia and end his turn there, or try to wrest control of Iceland and Greenland from the hanyou while he was at it.

Basically, the trio spent the rest of the night playing "Risk". Even though Phibrizzo couldn't actually play in person, he had Inuyasha make all his moves for him. Strategy was something the former dark lord knew all too well, and it paid off as he won six out of seven matches (the seventh being won by Inuyasha). The other game that Curtis had brought out remained unplayed, so the human set it aside for the time being.

-----

Finally, the words came: "Phibrizzo? It's time to get up."

Inuyasha immediately got up from his spot in Curtis's chamber, intent on getting back to his own place. "Interesting game you have back here. Maybe we can see how many times you can lose, Curtis," he said, smirking as Phibrizzo's eyes opened.

"I stink at strategy games, okay?" Curtis huffed. "Go on and get back."

"Then why'd you introduce the game to us, anyway?"

"_Inuyasha!"_ Curtis growled, exasparated.

The hanyou's laughter continued as he went back to his chamber. He could hear Curtis mutter something about smart-alek dogs, but decided not to take offense for the time being.

-----

"That man must be _really_ happy," Phibrizzo mumbled as he examined a handdrawn map, "or else he wouldn't have let me get to this place on my own."

"Your new guardians are just happy to have someone in the family," Curtis said. "They missed their son, and now they've got a new one."

"In any case, it's not like we can't take care of ourselves if the need comes up," Inuyasha added.

The morning had certainly been busy. First they had met Phibrizzo's new foster mother: Sylvia, a black-haired woman who seemed somewhat sickly; Marcus had told him it was because she'd been constantly grieving over the loss of her son. Sickly or not, shortly after they'd introduced themselves Phibrizzo had found himself engulfed in a monstrous hug. Needless to say this embarrassed the half-mazoku to no end; Inuyasha seemed torn between looking pleased and cracking up.

It didn't occur until after he'd been released from the woman's embrace that the wave of happiness he felt from her should've worsened his condition. At the time, he'd passed it off as a consequence of being transported to this world. _But still, I don't want to become _entirely_ human,_ he remembered thinking.

Shortly after they ate, Marcus showed Phibrizzo what he had purchased from the clothing store; since his son had been roughly the same size, he had a good idea what to get. Out of the selection that had been bought, Phibrizzo decided on a pair of black pants and a purple T-shirt (he kept the bracelet and wristband, however) but mentioned to the "parasites" that he could probably do one better. Curtis had suggested that he look up information on silkscreening; afterwards, once he knew how the process went, he'd be able to imprint an image or phrase of his choice onto the shirt. Phibrizzo had filed this information away as he pulled on several newly bought sneakers (_that kid and I must've been more similar than I thought, _he mused). All in all, he wasn't too sure what to make of modern clothing.

Having time to spare, Marcus called the school and told the administration what he could about his adopted child. After some discussion they agreed to put Phibrizzo in one of the lower grade levels. Before they'd left, Curtis had commented to him that he'd probably stand out a bit; he was easily at least three inches taller than most of the other kids in the class, and no one else (except maybe the teacher, but even that was unlikely) had hair as long as his. Phibrizzo just shrugged it off, not seeing what the deal was.

Finally, Marcus had quickly drawn a map of the general area and gave it to him, indicating where the school was on the map. After several hugs from he and Sylvia, Phibrizzo was finally able to leave.

_I'm never going to get used to this. Honestly._

Bringing his mind back on track, Phibrizzo took another look on the map. So far, he seemed to be heading in the right direction. "When you woke up last time, Curtis, were you able to check on that information about the different schools?" he asked aloud.

"Never got a chance to check," Curtis grumbled. "I felt utterly miserable when I got home, so I pretty much stayed in bed all day." There was a pause. "Strange. I don't dream about this during the day. I wonder why not..."

"You told me during our round of 'Risk' that you're sometimes a bit of a night person," Inuyasha suggested. "Maybe it just depends on how much you're thinking about it during the night opposed to during the day."

Curtis blinked. "Wow, Inuyasha. Never thought of it like that."

A slight shrug. "I have my moments. Kagome's talked about stuff like that before." Inuyasha stood up. "Hey, brat. How far away are we from the school?"

Phibrizzo's right eye twitched slightly as he checked the map. _About three blocks,_ he thought, noting that a few other kids were walking nearby. _And don't call me a brat, mutt._

"If you're going to call me names, be a bit more original!" Inuyasha warned.

_How is calling me a 'brat' original?_ Phibrizzo inquired, chuckling.

"Because you're supposed to be too old to be one," Inuyasha said.

_Yeah, canine, but still..._

"Alright, how about this one...firebrat?"

_**FIREBRAT! **That's where I draw the line!_

Curtis stood up, irritated. "Guys, that's enough. If I can decide to not call Phibrizzo a psycho anymore, Inuyasha, you can do the same. Same goes for you, Phibrizzo."

Inuyasha nodded, his voice silent. Phibrizzo just grumbled something inarticulate, but decided not to argue the point.

-----

The rest of the walk to the school was spent in silence. Upon their arrival, one of the faculty members met up with Phibrizzo and told him which class to go to. One his way over there, he noticed that a shorter brown-haired kid was walking along the same path he was, and pointed out as much to Curtis and Inuyasha.

Something about the kid set Curtis's nerves on edge. "Now I _know_ he looks familiar. I just can't place the name, but I'm sure I've seen him somewhere before."

_Another one of those popular "television" characters from your homeworld?_

"I don't know. Guess we'll be finding out soon, huh?"

-------

"Class, we have a couple new students here today." The teacher motioned towards the door, and the first kid walked in. He seemed somewhat tall to be in this grade, but it wasn't entirely unusual. The teacher had learned from the principal that even though he was fluent in two languages, most of his general education (with the exception of some math) was sorely lacking (that, and the fact that his age didn't match his height); thus, they'd placed him in this grade. "Please. Introduce yourself."

After a moment's hesitation, the kid bowed ever-so-slightly and put one hand behind his head nervously. "Hi. Name's Phibrizzo Kaden. I'm kind of new to the area, so...I guess it's good to see all of you."

Most of the other students smiled; a few of them even waved, and the new kid relaxed just a bit. The teacher nodded, wondering for an instant how he wound up with that name but dismissing it as he watched the other new student walk in. "How about you? Introduce yourself, please."

The kid nodded and smiled, turning to the class. "My name's Conan Edogawa. Nice to meet you."

------

Inuyasha nearly jumped backwards when he heard a startled shout coming from the opposite room:

_**"Whaaaat! No way!"**_

------

_Chapter One concluded. Chapter Two soon to commence_

**Author's notes**

Regarding Curtis's comment earlier about feeling "utterly miserable", this is based on truth. I'd actually started writing the story back in early-to-mid January, but a combination of the flu, loss of appetite, and something else pushed nearly all other priorities aside for at least a month. Oh, well; that was then, and this is now.

On a brighter note, I think you've probably figured out part of where I'm going with this story. Trust me; I'm just getting started. Heh, heh, heh.

One last thing: the author's notes, assuming I have any, will only be included after the _whole_ chapter is concluded. Just thought I'd let you know.


	7. Chapter Two

WHAT INSERTION?

by Curtis Wildcat

Chapter Two

---Mixing It Up

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**(Cue theme. See my profile for theme information.)**

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Place: Local elementary school

Time: Lunchtime

People would tell you that it's not polite to eat and talk at the same time. Phibrizzo, though, was doing just that---eating a lunch that was provided for him, and holding a steady conversation with Inuyasha and Curtis. It's about the only way that couldn't be considered impolite.

_So that other new kid we saw is one of those fictional characters too?_ Phibrizzo asked, nibbling at some ramen and setting aside the small dish of fish and vegetables to eat afterwards. _Wow, this stuff tastes pretty good._

Inuyasha smirked. "See? Told ya."

Curtis worked his way through a mouthful of bacon cheeseburger, then swallowed. "Yeah. Name's Conan Edogawa, like he said earlier. Granted its just his _current_ name, but that's unimportant for now. For those that know of him back home, he's got quite a reputation. I'll tell you more about him after lunch." Another bite. "I didn't feel lively enough to eat anything earlier, and _now_ look at me..."

_No wonder you shouted like that. Everyone was looking at me funny when I flinched_, Phibrizzo said as he increased the pace of his eating. _And I'm pretty sure that new kid looked pretty suspicious. What's he supposed to be?_

"You know what detectives are, right?"

_They're supposed to be people who find out about things, aren't they?_

Another bite. "That's just the basic definition. Before an incident that took place last night, he was the best detective in the city...and a teenager to boot. He investigated the more major crimes in the area, and even a few outside."

_Why? What happened last night?_ Phibrizzo gulped down some milk.

"A couple professional criminals knocked him out and gave him some kind of new drug. After they left, the drug didn't do exactly what they had intended: instead of killing him, it reversed his age. I'll admit to wanting to relive my childhood years---minus the jerks, of course---but that's definitely not the way to go."

"So now he has to go back to a school for brats," Inuyasha said. "Why doesn't he just find out who did it and get back at them?"

_Somehow, I doubt it's that easy, and---_ Phibrizzo jerked his head up as he finished off the ramen. _A couple kids are coming. How'd they finish so fast?_

"Well, you _did_ waste a bit of precious time trying to decide what to eat first," Inuyasha commented.

Munch, munch, swallow. "I recognize them," Curtis assured Phibrizzo. "They're alright. From left-to-right, we have Mitch, George, and Amy. Decent kids for the most part." He resumed eating.

Unknown to them was the fact that the others were aware that Phibrizzo had kept his mouth shut through most of the morning classes, looking nervous at times. They had thought that he was a bit shy---which was true---but they had no way of knowing that Phibrizzo only had a vague idea as to the whats and whys of this world, and was thus keeping quiet so that he didn't say or do anything stupid.

Even if they knew this, it wouldn't puzzle them for very long; they had questions they wanted answered, and they didn't want to wait until later.

Phibrizzo spoke first. "Um...hi. What is it?"

The fat boy, George, waved. "Hey. Just wondering why you ate the ramen so fast. You almost looked like a racer over here."

Phibrizzo licked his lips. "What can I say? It's delicious." He set to work on the fish.

Amy spoke next. "Hi. That's a very pretty bracelet you have there. What kind is it?"

With part of a fish piece jutting out of his mouth, Phibrizzo glanced downward at his bracelet. Swallowing, he answered: "Don't know, actually. I'd always thought it was a basic metal or crystal or something along those lines. It's not gold, though. I know that much."

"I'd thought that most boys don't wear bracelets," said Mitch, unsure.

Phibrizzo struggled mightily to keep himself from snapping. After a few seconds, he finally stated with an annoyed edge in his voice: "Sooner or later, that always comes up. It's something a friend of mine gave me, okay? She'd been the only friend I ever had, and it's all I have to remember her by. So don't bring that up again." He took another bite.

George and Mitch didn't look too happy with that comment, although it was the latter who answered him. "With an attitude like that, it's not wonder you've only had---"

Amy stepped in front of them, interrupting what could've led to an argument. "Since you've only had one friend before, how'd you like to have more?"

Phibrizzo lost his upset demeanor, appearing a bit puzzled. "What do you mean?"

George's frown vanished. "I see what she's saying. Do you want to be friends with us?"

Phibrizzo blinked several times. "I'll let you guys know when I'm finished eating," he said, caught off guard a little.

This seemed to make the trio happy, but they didn't go too far away; instead, they formed a huddle of sorts and started talking amongst themselves. Phibrizzo went back to finishing his lunch, turning his thoughts inward. _Inuyasha. Curtis. Comments?_

"You're going to have to hang around with some twerps sooner or later," Inuyasha said, being straight-to-the-point. "It sounds okay to me."

"I agree," Curtis said, who'd finished his bacon cheeseburger. "They seem annoying at first, but they stick with you. Conan's like that too, so you may want to mention him to them at some point."

Phibrizzo's tone became slightly accusatory, yet it also contained a bit of humor. _You know something I don't, do you?_ he asked, having finished off the fish and vegetables at this point.

"We both know something you don't." Inuyasha folded his arms, amused. "You know stuff _we_ don't. It's a fact of life, so get used to it."

"Speaking of knowing stuff we don't..." Curtis said, then hesitated for a moment. "I never knew you actually had a friend. What's that about?"

_Let's not talk about that right now. It's a bit of a touchy subject._ Phibrizzo downed the milk, then turned to Amy and the others. "Hey, guys? You listening?"

The trio of kids stopped their conversation and turned to him. "So, what's it gonna be?" George asked.

Phibrizzo stared at them for a moment, then smiled. "What are you guys doing later?"

This cheered up the kids, big time. "Great!" they said in unison; this startled them for a moment, but they settled down just as quickly as something came to mind.

"We don't have anything planned for later," Amy murmured, solemn. "Our parents found out that we tried to get on a rollercoaster for free yesterday, so they're making us stay home today and tomorrow."

"We'll plan for another day, then," Mitch offered. "Maybe we'll try the park this weekend."

George agreed wholeheartedly. "Sounds okay to me, but try not to throw the frisbee over my head like you did last time!"

Phibrizzo shrugged, momentarily wondering what frisbees and rollercoasters were. "I'm okay with that." His eyes scanned the room, seeking out Conan; he spotted him at the opposite end, looking rather annoyed and bored as he finished his own lunch. "You know, you should try to get that guy in on the action, too."

"You mean Conan? We thought about that." Mitch looked over at Conan briefly, then turned back to Phibrizzo. "You think we should talk to him, too?"

A nod. "Maybe before we leave later. How about that?"

"Alright with us!" the others cheered.

Phibrizzo smiled briefly as they left for their own part of the room, then turned back to his empty table; someone had taken the empty trey while he was talking to the others. _Have either of you ever wondered what it's like to watch your life spiralling out of control?_ he asked, his expression downcast.

Curtis looked up from where he was checking something along the side of his chamber. "Is that question meant to be rhetorical?"

"If it's meant to be, it's not a very good one," Inuyasha growled.

Phibrizzo chuckled mirthlessly. _Take it however you want._

"I'll settle for 'rhetorical'," Curtis said, shrugging and going back to what he was doing before.

A brief shudder ran up Phibrizzo's neck; turning his head a bit, he noticed that Conan had tapped his shoulder a few times, trying to get his attention. "Yeah...it's Conan, right? What do you want?"

Conan lowered his hand. "There's something that's been bothering me ever since this morning. It...kind of has to do with you."

Phibrizzo turned around partially to see him better, allowing his 'parasites' to see the kid standing before him. "What's it about? Were you wondering why I flinched right after you introduced yourself?"

Conan shook his head. "No, it's not that."

"I was staring at you for a bit while the teacher was busy. Was that it?"

Another negative. "You were?"

Phibrizzo laughed nervously. "Okay, forget that. Does it have to do with the bracelet?"

"I'll have to remember that...but no. It's something else."

"Well, then what is it?" Phibrizzo asked impatiently. "What else is there that you need to know about?"

"It's not much...I guess I'm just a little curious," said Conan. "What kind of name is 'Phibrizzo Kaden'?"

Phibrizzo's face would've hit the floor, but the edge of the desk intercepted the side of his head before it got there.

----

Sweatdropping briefly as Phibrizzo continuously muttered: "Ow...ow...ow..." and rubbed the side of his head, Conan looked on as those closest to them checked to see if he was alright. _I haven't been shrunk for a whole day yet, and already I have a mystery on my hands,_ he thought.

He'd seen various signs throughout the day. First, there was Phibrizzo's reaction to his introduction. Next, during dull moments throughout the teacher's lecture (since he knew all this stuff already, there were quite a few), he'd caught Phibrizzo staring intently at the teacher and at someone's book, never asking any questions and waiting several seconds before responding to anything correctly; he seemed to be in a constant state of nervousness. Third, from time to time while the teacher's back was turned, his head would turn slightly and his eyes would wander the room...almost as if he'd never been in such a room in his life. Now, he'd just found out that the other newcomer had been watching him as well.

Most people his age would've dismissed all this. Most people would pass off his nervousness as excitement at being in a new school. Most people would likewise also think that Phibrizzo would want to make friends with someone and have them help him through his first few days in attendance.

_There's something strange about that kid. I'll have to talk to him some more after school lets out._

Most people weren't Jimmy Kudo.

"If you're going to say something to make me do that, Edogawa, could you at least give me some warning? That hurts!"

Apparently most people weren't Phibrizzo Kaden, either.

-----

Location: Outside the elementary school

Time: Early-to-mid-afternoon

As Conan promised himself, he was able to run into Phibrizzo again after the school day ended. It looked like the latter kid was about to head off somewhere in a hurry; but after calling him over, he seemed willing to talk...at first. He seemed a lot less inclined to talk the further into Conan's questioning he got.

"So Phibrizzo's your real name, huh?"

"For the last time, _yes!_"

"It still sounds rather unusual..."

There was a moment of hesitation on Phibrizzo's part. "That's the name I was born with, okay?"

Conan gazed up at Phibrizzo's face; his eyes had seemed to glaze over for a moment before responding to him previously. "It doesn't really mean anything, though. It just sounds like something that was patched together on the spur of the moment."

That got Phibrizzo's full attention; in response, the other boy turned his head in several directions. Conan followed suit for a few seconds, noticing that most of the other kids had already left while they were discussing things. Finally, Phibrizzo leaned in as close as he could and whispered: "Kind of like your name, you mean?"

Blinking and trying his best to hide his nervousness, Conan placed one hand behind his head and smiled. "What are you talking about?"

Phibrizzo shook his head and placed one hand into his pants pocket. "What I mean is, your name sounds even funnier to me than my own," he said, still keeping his voice low. "'Phibrizzo' is my real first name and I was adopted yesterday, but yours sounds like you made it up on the spot."

_This isn't good! If he blows my cover, this could be trouble! I can't let him come to that conclusion!_ "Well, people are coming up with stranger and stranger names these days..."

"Edogawa, no matter how good you are at hiding your identity, I have my own ways of getting information; I would've found out about it sooner or later. Now tell me, and be honest with me: is 'Conan Edogawa' your real name or not?" Phibrizzo asked quietly, glowering at the shorter kid with an intensity that seemed to go beyond his years.

Conan stared down at the ground, thinking hard. _I can't really tell if he's bluffing or not. Does he really suspect I'm someone else, or is he just picking on me? And if it's the first choice, can I trust him to keep a secret and not go telling everyone else about it? This decision goes beyond important; if it goes out of hand, it could reach the ears of those men in black coats!_

He looked upwards into Phibrizzo's eyes. "Can I trust you to keep this secret? I can't let anyone else know about this, and I mean _anyone_."

Phibrizzo took another look around, then resumed staring into Conan's face. "I can keep secrets; I've got a few of my own. Besides, who could I tell? No one else would believe me even if I were so inclined."

Conan nodded, then took a deep breath. _Here goes._ "You're right."

"About the name thing?"

"Yes."

Phibrizzo smiled. "Good. If you don't mind, I'll keep my guess as to what your real name is to myself. People would think I'm crazy if I didn't."

Conan nodded, inwardly sighing in relief. "Right. Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me." _I wonder..._ "Can I have your phone number? You know, in case I need to talk to you about something?"

Phibrizzo blinked in surprise, and his eyes took on a dull sheen. One of Conan's eyebrows remained raised, while the other one narrowed slightly. _That's funny...he looks out of it._

A few seconds later, the other boy snapped out of it and stared down at the ground; he seemed rather embarassed. "Um...I think my parents forgot to give it me before I left this morning." He muttered something else that sounded like: "All that love and affection, and they didn't leave me a means of talking to them..."

"Sounds like you have real loving parents," Conan said, trying to keep the amused smirk off his face.

"Tell me about it...my new father practically bought me an entire wardrobe last night." Phibrizzo withdrew his hand from his pocket and pretended to examine his wristband. "I was wondering: is there a library around here?"

Conan nodded, getting out a piece of paper and pen. "I have the address memorized. Why do you want to know?" he asked, writing down the address.

"Well, I was going to look up some things on silkscreening. Most of my new shirts are rather drab, so I may add some decorations to them sometime when I get the money," his fellow classmate told him, accepting the piece of paper. He looked at the address briefly, then crammed it into his pocket. "I'll check where that is later."

"You really _are_ new here, aren't you?" Conan said, chuckling.

"Hey, it's not going to stay that way for long!" Phibrizzo shuffled his feet for a few moments. "For the next couple weeks or so, I was going to wander around as many of the districts in Tokyo as I can and try to memorize where things are." He paused for a moment, appearing to be thinking about something. "Starting with the Nerima district."

Conan shrugged. "I see. I guess it was nice meeting you, then."

"Likewise, pal. See you tomorrow," Phibrizzo said good-naturedly, walking away.

Conan watched him until he turned a corner, then started to walk away himself. _That was a close call. This is an awful risk I'm taking...but I suppose he's right. There's not exactly anyone he can tell; he's new in town, and---_

A flash of realization caught his mind's eye, and he emitted a startled gasp. _Wait a second! The Nerima district!_

Hastily, Conan spun around and dashed as fast as he could to the corner where he'd seen Phibrizzo leave. Upon stopping, he quickly looked both ways. Nothing. _Where'd he go? Where'd he disappear to?_ He hurriedly rushed down the road that he'd seen his fellow classmate go down, but slowed down when he couldn't see him anywhere.

Shaking his head and narrowing his eyes, Conan began the walk back to his new home. _Something's up around here, but I'll have to find out what it is later. Both Richard and Rachel will have a fit if I'm not back at the agency, so I guess I'll just have to talk to Phibrizzo about it tomorrow._

----

Back outside the school, Amy, Mitch, and George looked around curiously. Mitch in particular seemed confused. "That's funny. Didn't we hear him talking out here a minute ago?"

"He must've ran off somewhere," George groused. "The little escape artist."

"No worries," Amy said, smiling. "We'll try again tomorrow, and next time we'll make sure to get out of school quicker."

----

Phibrizzo perked his head over the edge of the roof, watching Conan walk down the street and disappear from sight. That had been a close call, although he wasn't sure why the smaller kid had rushed around the corner like that.

Getting a smug look on his face, he focused his thoughts on his two occupants just before Curtis started talking. "That was too close. You never told me you could still teleport." The fat human took a look at something on the wall, his right eyebrow raised.

"I could still sense the trigger in my mind. I wanted to get onto the roof of the nearest building, so I took the easy way out," Phibrizzo explained, still smug.

What he didn't tell them, though, was that he had felt part of his energy go into fueling the teleport. He was pleased that he had kept this ability to do this, but he wasn't happy that teleporting repeatedly would mean running the risk of draining his energy.

Curtis must've figured this out, since he decided to change the subject. "Well, okay. Anyway, lets head home first. We don't want to keep your mother waiting, do we?"

"You shouldn't go anyplace without telling your parents where you are, anyhow," Inuyasha remarked. "Kagome told me once that it won't leave them guessing, and they _probably_ won't worry as much."

Phibrizzo was about to argue the point, but gave up. "Alright, fine." With that, he allowed an image of the Kaden's yard to enter his mind and disappeared with a SNAP-HISS.

----

Location: Kaden residence

Knock, knock, knock. "Mom, I'm back!"

Sylvia slowly got up from her chair, muting the television and taking her time getting to the door. Grieving the last few weeks had taken a lot out of her, so she didn't feel as energetic as she was before her son's illness. She did feel a little bit better when she had learned that Marcus had found someone to adopt, and the thought of being able to visit her sister-in-law once she recovered cheered her up even more.

Opening the door, Sylvia was greeted with the sight of a smiling, raven-haired boy. She ushered him in. "Don't forget to take your shoes off, Phibrizzo. It's only customary," she told him quietly.

Phibrizzo looked puzzled, then shrugged. Removing the shoes and replacing them with a pair of slippers that were set near the door, he went over and sat on the couch while Sylvia closed the door and returned to her chair. "So, how'd your first day go?" she asked politely.

"Alright, I guess." Phibrizzo turned his eyes on the wall, facing away from Sylvia. "Met a few kids, met a few teachers, got confused at a lot of things...that sort of thing. I'll have to get some of the needed materials for tomorrow; outside of a pen and note paper, I was unprepared for everything that went on."

Sylvia nodded. "I'll let Marcus know when he returns home this evening. By the way, I was able to wash those clothes that you had when I saw you this morning. They're hanging in your closet, but I don't suggest that you wear them too often."

A disappointed expression crossed Phibrizzo's face, but only briefly. "Alright. Just don't throw them out." After a short pause, he added: "Hey, mom? I was kind of wondering if I could go out for a bit and look around. I haven't had a lot of time to see the sights, and...well, you know."

After thinking for a few seconds, Sylvia came to her decision. "I suppose it's alright with me, but I want you to be back in three hours. We'll be having dinner then. Stay there for a minute, could you, please?" Getting up again, she walked out of the room. _I worry about him, it's true; but he doesn't look like the type to lead a sheltered life. He needs to get around a bit._

-----

"It was really nice of her to give you that spending money and that map of Tokyo," Inuyasha said, jumping and dashing across buildings at top speed.

"Yeah," Curtis added, "and at least she gave you the home phone number this time in case something happens."

After receiving said items from Sylvia and listening to a brief lecture on keeping safe---and enduring one of his foster mother's gorilla hugs---Phibrizzo had left the house to find a place to hide. When he did so, Inuyasha initiated a Switch and was now on a beeline for the outskirts of Nerima.

"Yes, but it bothers me that Nerima had a large red X and the phrase 'Abandon all hope ye who enter here' written across it," Phibrizzo said, unsure. "Why did you insist on going there first?"

"That guy asked us last night if Inuyasha was from the Nerima district," Curtis said, instinctively holding on to the armrests as the hanyou made another leap. "I have a feeling I know what he's referring to, but I want to check it out and make sure."

"I know, but running around like this in daylight is still stupid!" Phibrizzo complained. To Inuyasha, he asked in the same tone: "Do you want people to recognize you?"

"You got any better ideas as to how we get there with time to spare?" Inuyasha asked, making a leap that landed him on top of a moving train. "I'm all ears."

No response.

Inuyasha grinned. "I didn't think so." With that, he made several jumps towards the front of the train and propelled himself away.

In the meantime, Curtis took a quick look at a few sheets of paper he was holding. "Well, as long as we have a few minutes, I'll give you guys a quick rundown and what to expect. First off..."

-----------

Location: Nerima district, two blocks from Furinkan High

Time: Fifteen minutes later

The confrontation had started out much the way most confrontations in the district did: Ryoga had come from out of nowhere, yelling his usual "Prepare to die" lines. Ranma had shot back with several retorts of his own, and the two of them were soon engaged in one of their usual fights. In this case, "usual" meant that there was a lot of property damage involved, keeping the local construction companies in business.

Half a block down the street Ukyo was watching the battle, waiting to see when Ranma would finish the fight. Everyone else in the area had disappeared, knowing what the two martial artists were capable of; thus, it got to the point that only Ukyo was giving the fight her full attention.

"Um, excuse me?"

The okonomiyaki chef jumped, nearly startled out of her wits. She almost armed herself with the giant spatula that she carried, but stopped when she saw who had spoken to her: a small boy with black hair and bright yellow-green eyes. The kid spoke again. "Miss, what's going on here?"

Ukyo stared at him for a bit, then brought herself down to eye level. "You're not from around here, are you?"

The boy smiled cutely, scratching his head with an air of nervousness about him. "What gave it away?"

"You asked what was going on here, kid." Ukyo indicated the fight, turning her attention back towards it. "Just about everyone who lives here knows what's going on. You see that guy with the bandanna? He's fighting my very best friend over some trivial matter involving one of my rivals. It happens quite a bit around here."

"About how often?"

"Hmm...I figure about once or twice a week, on the average. Sometimes longer if that guy gets lost."

The boy sweatdropped. "I shouldn't have asked." He took a few steps away looking as if he was about to cross the street, then stopped. "Do you know where I can purchase a map of the district? I just moved to Tokyo last night, and I'm trying to figure out where everything is."

"There's a guy who sells maps not far from my restaurant," Ukyo said, occupied. Ranma was still fighting Ryoga, his back to them. "Follow me to the shop after this is over, alright?"

The kid nodded agreeably, crossing the street and then turning to watch the fight himself. Ukyo glanced at him out the corner of his eye, standing back up. _That kid's brave, that's for sure._

-----

_Are these the guys you're talking about, Curtis?_

Curtis nodded. "I'm not sure if you noticed, but I'd disappeared again right after lunch. When I woke up, I was able to remember what I knew about them before I started feeling lousy again. No question about it; it's them, all right."

One of the fighters---the one with the pigtailed hairstyle---shouted something at his opponent, causing Inuyasha to chuckle and then laugh. _What's so funny, dog boy?_ Phibrizzo asked.

"You weren't paying attention, were you?" Inuyasha said, laughing. "That guy there sounds like me!"

A brief pause ensued. The chamber glowed a soft orange for a moment. _Great. There's TWO of you._ Phibrizzo's disbelief and expasaration was apparent in his tone of voice.

Curtis laughed a bit. "Talk about a small world," he said. "What I don't get is why they're speaking English when their mouths are clearly saying Japanese."

"You noticed it, huh? I've been wondering that, too, and---"

_**"Shi Shi Hokodan!"**_

A rough cry from down the street interrupted Inuyasha's comment. Curtis looked up as a massive green energy sphere shot past Ranma, heading straight for them. Phibrizzo emitted a startled cry and reflexively brought his arms in front of his face, bringing the remainder of his powers to the fore in an attempt to stave off Ryoga's awesome attack.

The attempt worked...in a way that none of the trio expected.

------

Ryoga and Ukyo both saw the blast fly past Ranma as he dodged it; but neither of them could do anything to warn the kid that was watching the fight. Ranma himself realized it at the last second, but by then it was too late...

They were expecting an explosion. What they didn't expect was the Shi Shi Hokodan being forcibly absorbed into the kid's body like water spiralling down the drain; the resulting force knocked the kid off his feet. Some of the kid's hair fell across his eyes, obscuring them.

Ukyo rushed over to the kid to check on him; he seemed to be glowing slightly. The others agreed to a temporary truce, with Ranma leading Ryoga over to see if the kid was okay.

He was alright...in a most unusual way. Suddenly, the kid jerked up into a sitting position, seemed to hesitate for a bit, then let loose a flood of tears. "You jerks hit me! You don't even care about me! Why is everyone being so mean to me?" He blindly tried to shove everyone aside. "_Waaah!_ You're all mean! Leave me alone! I want my mother! You meanies!"

Ukyo stepped away from the kid, one eye twitching slightly. "Wow. What's gotten into him? He took the blast, and now he's acting all strange...kind of like Akane's father."

For once, Ranma didn't have anything smart-alek to say. Ryoga was having trouble deciding whether to blame Ranma for this or find some way to calm the kid down, and settled for looking rather undecisive.

Meanwhile, the kid was still ranting and crying. "This is the story of my life! I should've just stayed behind! Why does everyone need to be so mean?" Almost as if it were beyond his control, one of his hands slowly jerked upwards. "Call my mother! I want to go home! _Waaah!_ Help me! Someone help me **_now!"_**

As soon as his hand was raised above his head, a familiar green shape formed: the Shi Shi Hokodan that he had just absorbed. With a final cry, the blast exploded from his hand and propelled itself skywards, then started to descend seconds later.

Reacting quickly, Ryoga grabbed the kid and bolted to the opposite side. Ranma and Ukyo were quick enough to follow suit just as the blast impacted and exploded at the spot where they had just been moments before.

Everyone took a few minutes to catch their breath. "Well, sugars," Ukyo commented dryly, "I guess this is what we can expect out of the Nerima district, right?"

The kid spoke up. "Um, Mr. Ryoga? You can let me go now. I'm fine."

Ryoga let go. The kid stood up and stretched. "Well, that'll teach me not to be on the receiving end of that thing again."

Something occurred to the bandanna-foreheaded martial artist. "Hey, how'd you know my name?"

The kid nervously took a few steps away. "Honestly? You wouldn't believe me if I told you." He wiped his eyes to remove any visible tears, although it didn't do anything to reduce the redness below them. Turning his head a bit, he stared at the recently-formed crater; there was a salty puddle in it. "Wow, I did that? Don't think I've ever been that sad in my life, and that's saying something."

"What's with you?" Ranma asked, beside himself with curiousity. "First you absorb Ryoga's attack, then you throw a hissy fit, _then_ you're able to get rid of the Shi Shi Hokodan and act like it didn't just happen! What's with you?"

The kid took a deep breath and calmed himself down. "Well, if you must know---"

"Saotome!"

"---I'll tell you some other time," the kid finished, staring at the teenager that had approached from down the street. "Who's he?"

Ukyo shook her head. "Kid, you shouldn't have said that..." she muttered.

"I am the one who shall defeat the foul sorcerer and free Akane Tendo and the pigtailed girl from his clutches! I am: Tatewaki Kuno, the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High!" Kuno pulled out a wooden sword and prepared himself for battle.

"Hmm...not sure if I can match that, but I can try," the kid murmured, seemingly talking to himself. Standing in the middle of the street and adopting a heroic pose, he shouted: "I am the one who will take the world by storm and turn things upside-down amongst heroes and idiots alike! I am: Phibrizzo Kaden, the Purple Cyclone of...of..."

Without further warning, he deflated. "Blast. I forgot the name of the elementary school I go to."

Everyone in earshot facefaulted.

------

That included Curtis and Inuyasha.

"Phibrizzo..." Curtis growled, pushing himself off the ground, "how did you manage to forget our grade school so soon? And what's with the corny lines?"

_If you want to take a crack at this, fat boy, be my guest!_ "I'm glad that Amelia girl's not here. She'd probably yell at me for botching up the speech."

Inuyasha got up as well, seething. "Look, are you going to do anything with that moron or not? If you're not, then I will!"

Phibrizzo sighed...then chuckled as something came to mind. "You go on, Inuyasha. Let's give them all a shock."

Curtis shook his head. "I have a feeling something really stupid is going to take place..."

------

Ranma looked apprehensive at the whole thing, itching to take action but still wanting to see how the situation panned out. "Amelia? Inuyasha? Who in the world's he talking about over there?"

Kuno finally got up, deciding he'd had enough himself. "I see. Well then, if you will not step out of my way, I shall force you out! Have at---"

Before he could finish, a shocked cry arose from Ranma and the others. Kuno's initial response was confusion as to what had startled his original opponent so much. Then he noticed it: the white hair, the narrowed eyes...and the sword that hung on Phibrizzo's belt. "Ah. So the monster shows his true face at last. Tell me: what is your purpose for controlling this child?"

"For one, I ain't a monster," Phibrizzo growled, his tone the exact opposite of what it had been a minute ago. "For another, he's letting me do this. Finally: I just want you to shut up. The kid was in the middle of a conversation, and you ruined it." He folded his arms. "Now get lost."

"If he's trying to intimidate him, he's not doing a very good job," Ryoga muttered, twirling a bandanna absently.

He didn't seem to be intimidating Kuno, either; the swordsman went into a rant about how "justice is slow but sure" and how he would smite everyone who barred his path towards Akane's "freedom". After having enough of the idiot's smug look and posturing, Phibrizzo decided to unsheath the sword.

Almost immediately, everyone's jaws dropped to the ground with a clang.

-----

Inside the green pillar, Phibrizzo smirked. "If that didn't shock them, what will?"

"The fact that he can actually move around while holding the Tetsusaiga," Curtis remarked from his own room. "Hey, Inuyasha? Nothing fancy. Just get behind him and give him a boot."

-----

_Alright, if you say so..._

Immediately upon thinking that, Inuyasha bolted behind Kuno faster than anyone could blink. "Smite _this,_ you moron!" he yelled as he wound up with one foot, kicked the kendoist towards Ranma, and resheathed the Tetsusaiga all in the same motion.

Ranma snapped out of it in time to see Kuno flying towards him. Reacting quickly, he dodged out of the way and diverted the direction of Kuno's flight path, sending him airborne. The cry of "Release the pigtailed girl, you fieeeeennnd!" marked his departure from the area.

Inuyasha shook his head as the others came to their senses. "Man, what an idiot."

"You're telling me," Curtis commented, his pupils resembling dots. "Makes some of the kids I knew in school seem smart in comparison."

A bell rang somewhere, getting everyone's attention. In the meantime, Inuyasha decided to relinquish control of Phibrizzo; he'd just wanted to make Kuno go away, and didn't plan on staying very long.

The half-mazoku slowly backed away a few steps towards the edge of the street, his stomach mysteriously rumbling. He blushed slightly, but no one seemed to be watching him. Seeing the source of the bell---a bicycle (_that's a neat mode of transportation if I ever saw one, _he thought) being ridden by a purple-haired teenage girl---a plan quickly came to mind.

------

Ukyo shook her head, greatly annoyed as she watched Shampoo come to a halt and jump off the bike en route to Ranma. Every day, it was the same old thing. She frowned, grabbing her giant spatula and preparing for another fight. _That girl just doesn't give up!_

Thankfully, after the usual glomp, Shampoo jumped off and reached for the bike basket. Her gaze was notably still fixed on Ranma. "Airen, Shampoo prepare something good---huh?"

It didn't occur until she actually looked in it that there was nothing in the bike basket. Time slowed down for a bit as Shampoo's anger started to build. "Shampoo went to all that trouble...Shampoo wanted to give special ramen to Airen...where ramen?" She turned her gaze to Ukyo. "Spatula-Girl take ramen?"

"What would I want with ramen?" Ukyo said defensively. "I cook okonomiyaki!"

"Lost Boy take ramen?"

Ryoga shook his head repeatedly, and Ranma folded his arms. "Neither of us had anything to do with it, Shampoo."

"_Then WHO take ramen?"_ Shampoo yelled angrily.

A contented sigh was heard. "Wow, _that_ was delicious!"

Everyone turned to the source of the sigh. Ukyo was surprised to see that it was the small boy---Phibrizzo Kaden. The kid was sitting on the ground, several empty boxes sitting next to him. He smiled broadly and flipped a few yen coins towards Shampoo. "If there's any change, keep it. That stuff is great!"

Shampoo fumbled for a few seconds, finally catching the coins as she gazed at the source of her surprise. "Aiyah...Did small boy eat ramen? How so fast?"

Phibrizzo stood up, smiling cutely. "With all due respect, miss, you wouldn't believe me if I told you."

Shampoo nodded. "Oh. Shampoo see. Have something to say."

"Oh? What's that?"

"_If small boy want ramen, ASK first!"_ Shampoo yelled, getting directly into Phibrizzo's face.

Ranma, Ryoga, and Ukyo all expected Phibrizzo to back off; that was usually the result of one's first encounter with an angry Amazon. Surprisingly, he stood his ground and got into Shampoo's face. "What, and have you say 'no'? You were going to give that stuff to Ranma, weren't you?"

"Yes! Ranma is Shampoo's airen!"

"Well, there you have it! Whatever 'airen' means, I don't think he wants to be it!"

"Shows how little small boy knows!"

"My _name_ is Phibrizzo, you noisy girl!"

"Shampoo not noisy!"

"You are now, Miss Hair Product!"

The trio of on-lookers sweatdropped at this exchange. By this time, Phibrizzo and Shampoo were glaring at each other with no more than a half-inch of space between them; this was remarkable, considering the height difference. It was in the middle of the third inning, and still no score.

Thankfully, the game was about to be postponed; Ukyo chose this moment to speak up. "Excuse me, sugar, but didn't you say you wanted to get a map?" she asked, putting the giant spatula away.

Phibrizzo nodded, still glaring at Shampoo. "Of Nerima, and of other districts too if possible!"

"You might as well follow me, then. Shampoo, leave the kid alone before I tell Cologne that you've been shirking your delivery route."

Reluctantly, Shampoo stood up and away from Phibrizzo. Her anger subsided somewhat, but she still looked irritable. The object of her previous anger turned to follow Ukyo as she started to walk away. "Delivery route?"

"Yes...she works at the Cat Cafe," Ukyo explained. "It's a ramen restaurant not far from my own shop."

-----

Before Phibrizzo could respond, a series of black rose petals drifted to the ground; these had adverse effects on everyone in the area. Shampoo backed away as far as she could, muttering something about crazy women. Ranma decided he'd had enough and decided to get while the getting was good. Ryoga ran off intending to follow Ranma and finish their earlier fight, but instead detoured through an alley and smashed through a wall. Ukyo got as far out of the way as she could.

Phibrizzo looked at those who were still there, confused. Inside his head, Inuyasha appeared just as puzzled as he was. Curtis, though, had an entirely different reaction: he immediately leapt out of his chair and tore his way into Inuyasha's chamber, stepping onto the marked spot near the wall and slapping the "Switch" button angrily.

-----

Ignoring Phibrizzo's protests, Curtis glared at the source of the rose petals. "Kodachi Kuno," he growled.

He was rewarded with an "_AH-HA-HA-HO-HO-HO!"_ as said woman gracefully jumped down off the roof of the building near Shampoo. She looked at the "young boy" with an expression that bordered on arrogance, then turned her attention to Ukyo and Shampoo. "I must insist that you commoners tell me where my dear Ranma has disappeared to," she declared.

Ukyo shook her head. "He left when you showed up, you know. If that shouldn't tell you something, I don't know what will."

Kodachi smiled. "Nonsense. He has no reason to fear me."

"Crazy lady call paralysis flowers no reason to fear?" Shampoo shouted indignantly. "Shampoo wonder what wrong with head!"

"You're just jealous...all of you. You have no idea how far my love for him extends---"

Curtis decided that he'd had enough and turned his backs to them. **_"BWA-HAHAHAHAHA! _**It's true what they say...that love is blind! **_HAHAHAHAHA!"_**

This got the attention of everyone around him. Annoyed, they listened to him rant to himself: "You don't really know what insanity is until you've spent some actual time with the experts. I guess we should've listened when we learned that we _weren't_ supposed to come here, but no; we had to wander clear into a smokescreen of trouble. A place where cats are more dangerous than they look..." Shampoo's look changed to that of curiousity. "And a place where idiocy is the order of every day...and that's just for beginners!"

"You said that 'we' should've listened? What do you mean by that, child?" Kodachi inquired.

Unseen by them, Curtis grinned. "'That' is a secret, Kodachi. It's one the likes of you could never hope to understand...not that you understand much, anyway. I wish I could say you were smarter than you look, but if you did, you'd understand that the person you love and the person you hate are one and the same. Don't tell me you haven't noticed the similarities."

"Phibrizzo, it's useless," Ukyo said, stopping him from elaborating. "Neither of them understand. It's been tried and done by just about everyone."

"I know," Curtis groused. "That's why I'm so ticked. For them to dismiss the obvious in this situation, they'd _have_ to be idiots." He turned to face them. "Look at me, for example. Notice anything different about me since I got here?"

"Well...your hair's brown instead of black," Ukyo thought aloud.

"Small boy is fat," Shampoo added. "Not very fat, just...fat. And crazy lady is showering air around Phibrizzo with flower petals."

Ukyo edged closer to Shampoo as a cascade of black flower petals---and flowers---rained down around Curtis, who just stared at them in wonder. "What would you say...sleeping powder, sugar?" Ukyo asked, probably thankful that they were both out of range of Kodachi's subtlety.

"Yes...great-grandmother showed Shampoo difference between sleeping powder and paralysis powder," Shampoo explained, flipping her gaze between Ukyo and Curtis. "But Shampoo wonder why small boy is not effected..."

This was puzzling Curtis, as well. Earlier when Kodachi first made her appearance, she'd done the same thing and nothing had happened to him. "I don't get it," he said to himself. "I should be out of it by now. What's the deal?"

Inside his borrowed mind, Phibrizzo made his opinion known to him. "Hey, fat boy! Did you forget I'm still half-mazoku? And let me out of here!"

Curtis smacked a fist into an open palm. "I get it now," he said, smiling. "I almost forgot that I don't need to breathe!"

Two sweatdrops appeared on his observers. Ukyo's left eye was twitching. "I'm not sure I want to know, Phibrizzo..." she growled, exasparated, "but Kodachi's gone. She's not listening to you."

"So what else is new?" Curtis folded his arms as the last of the flowers descended, looking around. Kodachi had indeed decided to take her leave for the time being. "Probably thinks I'm a monster of some kind." _Close, but not entirely._ "Anyways, could you lead me to where those maps are? I think I've stuck around here long enough for now."

"Alright, sure," Ukyo muttered. "I'm ready whenever you are."

"Okay, great. Give me a second, could you?" _Okay, Phibrizzo. Sorry about barging in like that, but the sheer idiocy that was present was a little bit much for me._ Curtis mentally triggered a Switch, letting the half-mazoku back in the game.

-----

Phibrizzo blinked as he regained control, then narrowed his eyes. "Blast it, Curtis, give me some warning next time!" he hissed.

"I said I was sorry," Curtis told him, walking back towards the other chamber. "And try to remember to say that _mentally_ next time, okay?"

Phibrizzo looked up, noticing that Ukyo and Shampoo were both staring at him funny. He sweatdropped and chuckled nervously. "Sorry. I've been having some problems with multiple personalities recently."

"_We are NOT personalities!"_ Inuyasha and Curtis both yelled.

"And they both yelled at me when I said that," Phibrizzo said, flinching. "But when they take over, that's pretty much what they are if you count out the differences in appearance." He could hear some grumbling in the back of his mind, but he kept going. "Anyways, could you keep that a secret? There are a few people I don't want to tell about this. Pass that on to Ryoga and Ranma the next time you see them, too."

Shampoo and Ukyo nodded. To the former, he added: "Hey, Shampoo. Is it alright if I drop by the Cafe sometime? I wasn't kidding about the ramen."

"Since small boy ask nicely," Shampoo said as she got on her bicycle, smirking, "yes." Not saying anything more, she pedaled away.

Phibrizzo lowered his head, sighing out a mushroom cloud. "Why can't she just call me 'Phibrizzo'?" he whined.

"She's like that to everyone," Ukyo explained as she went over to join him. "In your case, she's just picking on you. You ready?"

The two of them finally set off in the direction of Ucchan's Okonomiyaki and the nearby map seller, leaving behind a tear-filled crater and a mess of flowers.

-----

Shampoo raced down the street on her bicycle at full tilt. "Got to tell great-grandmother about this," she told herself aloud. "Weirdness of Nerima is going up again."

-----

Location: A park not far from Phibrizzo's school

Time: Two hours later

**(BGM - Instrumental of "Tomorrow", from The Information Society)**

"That was real nice of her to offer you that okonomiyaki to go."

_I guess so, Curtis._ Phibrizzo slowly munched away at the meal that was given him, once again wondering how his life kept curving in front of him. _So where to tomorrow?_

After getting the maps he wanted---which were currently jammed into his pants' pockets---Ukyo had offered to cook him a snack. Phibrizzo agreed; after accepting a case that contained said snack and thanking the chef for what she'd done, he'd bolted from the shop to take a quick tour of Nerima with Inuyasha's help. After over an hour and a half of touring the district they now knew where all the major landmarks were, including a few of the nicer ones that had never been the scene of a fight.

Finally, the trio had decided to return to home. Somewhere along the way, they'd sighted a small table inside a park; thankful to be sitting down for a few minutes, Phibrizzo had started on the okonomiyaki.

"Lets try the Shibuya district next," Curtis suggested. "I heard kids and teenagers like the place."

_Just try to remember that I'm not really a kid, okay? I lost track of how many years I've lived centuries ago._

"Guess you'll be the oldest child people are ever going to see, then," Curtis said. Phibrizzo just shook his head at the fat human's dry humor, not amused.

"You guys realize that once we know where a place is, we can just teleport over there, right?" Inuyasha spoke up, sitting on a cushion that Curtis had provided him with earlier.

Phibrizzo nodded, swallowing his portion and taking another bite. "I'm surprised you figured it out so soon, dog boy. What are you suggesting?"

"I'm suggesting," Inuyasha said with a smirk, "that we travel to a certain spot in each area of Tokyo. Once we memorize where and what that spot is, we head to another place. After that, whenever we want to go to a certain district, we can just teleport on over there easy."

Curtis sat up in his chair. "I get it. This'll save us some time getting there in the long run. We'll have to save the districts and wards that are farther out for days when we have more time, but I think it'll turn out alright eventually. Inuyasha, I'm _definitely_ impressed."

Inuyasha chuckled. "See? Told you I get some bright ideas now and again."

_The canine mind never ceases to amaze me._

"Is that a shot?" Inuyasha snapped, bristling.

Phibrizzo laughed inwardly, still eating. _Oh, calm down._

Curtis just sighed and shook his head, an amused smile crossing his face briefly.

-----

Location: Moore Detective Agency

Time: Early evening

"And now, our top story. Last night, renowned anthropologist Gerald Kym was contacted by a good friend of his, and in turn called Tokyo police, telling them that a strange person has been seen wandering the residential areas...and on the rooftops, no less. Police were reluctant to believe Kym's statement, until several officers brought in a terrified teenage robber. This person, according the robber, was around three and a half feet tall, has wild shoulder-length white hair, is dressed in clothes remniscent of Europe's Middle Ages, and is armed with, quote, 'a really big sword', unquote. After stopping the thief, the unknown kid headed in the direction of the city limits. If anyone has information on the whereabouts of this person, please contact Tokyo police or this station. We are not sure if he is watching this broadcast now, but if he is, the Louis family would like to thank him for what happened last night and would also like to meet him in person. That's it for local news; now, let's go to Mr. Mason for our weather report..."

The volume on the television was turned down as Richard Moore turned to his daughter, Rachel. "What kind of kid wanders the city in stuff like that? What is he, some kind of nut?"

Rachel glanced over at her father, curious. "Well, you've heard about how Nerima's full of crazy people who can do seemingly impossible things. Maybe he's one of them."

Richard shook his head and snorted. "I still say it's a lot of mass hysteria. People who run through walls and/or are sent skyward whenever they do something wrong? That by itself is a lot of garbage."

Over on the couch, Conan was lost in thought. _The Nerima district...there are people who believe that stuff happens, and those who don't. I've never actually been there, so I don't know what to think. What I do know is that whoever goes there is either really crazy or extremely brave. Phibrizzo told me after school that he was going to explore the city and its districts one by one, and that Nerima was first on his tour. I sort of pity him; I hope he didn't run into that other person somewhere along the way, or anyone else that could injure him._

_It's strange, though...why did he seem intent on wandering the city? _Another thought occurred to him, and he sweatdropped as he mulled it over. _And why do I have the feeling that my life's gotten a lot stranger all of a sudden?_

------

_Chapter Two concluded. Chapter Three soon to commence_

AUTHOR'S NOTES

What I know about Ranma and the others has been gleaned from various Internet sources; I don't have any plans to watch the series itself.

Three and a half feet for Phibrizzo's height is a rough estimate; I don't know for sure what it really is, and I'm not going to bother to find out.

The fun begins. Heh, heh.


	8. Chapter Three

WHAT INSERTION?

by Curtis Wildcat

_Chapter Three _--- One's Own Designs

--------

**(Cue theme)**

--------

Place: Kaden residence

Time: Mid-evening, one day after the conclusion of Chapter Two

--------

Inuyasha glared at his opponent, his smirk clearly evident. "You're going down," he declared as he prepared to make his move.

Curtis didn't flinch, instead narrowing his eyes. "Better think twice, Inuyasha," he growled.

"I've already decided," the hanyou stated, taking one of the red pieces and tapping the blue piece in front of it. "Five."

Curtis's shoulders slumped. "Three."

Inuyasha pumped a fist victoriously, then flicked the blue piece off the board. "Ha! Why'd you bring out this game if you're just going to lose at it?"

"You still have to get my flag, so the game's not over yet." Curtis reached over and moved one of his remaining blue pieces a space over to the left.

It had been a rather busy day, all things considered. During the previous night Marcus had included a large drawing pad and colored pencils amongst the various supplies---both for school and not---that he had bought; after dinner Phibrizzo didn't want his "parasites" to see what he was drawing, so he suggested that they find something else to do. Agreeing to this, Curtis had opened up the second game he'd brought in a few nights previous: "Stratego".

It was going the way he'd thought it was going to: he'd taught Inuyasha how to play the game, and he was getting creamed ten minutes later.

_I have to give you credit for not quitting mid-way through,_ Phibrizzo said. _But why don't you just find something you're good at?_

Curtis thought for a second, but Sylvia Kaden's voice took away his chance to speak before he could reply. "Phibrizzo, dear?"

Both Curtis and Inuyasha had to hold in laughter when they heard this. "Those two words don't mix well," Inuyasha chortled.

_Tell me something I don't know, Inuyasha. And concentrate on your game!_ "Yes, mother?"

"Your father got his paycheck recently, so I think it's a good idea that you received an allowance."

"An allowance?" Phibrizzo's voice sounded confused.

"Of course! It's only fair that you have some spending money on hand when you're out and about."

"Oh. Okay." Curtis could hear Phibrizzo getting up and receiving his allowance. "Thanks, mom."

"Don't thank me. Thank your father."

As Curtis and Inuyasha's game continued and Phibrizzo eventually went back to his drawing, Curtis's thoughts drifted back to the events of the day. It had all started when Conan had caught up to them and questioned Phibrizzo about the events of yesterday...

-------

**Flashback**

Place: On the way home from Teitan Elementary

Time: After school

"Huh? What do you mean, 'where were you yesterday'?" Phibrizzo asked testily.

"Exactly that," Conan said, looking up at the taller kid as they walked down the street. "You said in passing that you were going to tour Tokyo, 'starting with the Nerima district'. Did you go over there?"

"Yes, I did," Phibrizzo said, folding his arms. "I said I was going there, and I meant it. Anything else?"

"Yes. Why?"

Phibrizzo shrugged. "Curiousity, I guess."

Conan wasn't quite convinced. "Funny. Why don't I believe you?"

"Because it's not the only reason, Edogawa." Phibrizzo brushed some hair out of his eyes as he walked. "I'd wanted to make certain whether or not Nerima was as crazy as advertised. Got my thoughts confirmed and then some."

"'And then some'?"

Phibrizzo kept an eye on Conan to gauge his reaction. "Yep. 'And then some', all right. I accidentally got hit with a large energy blast that induced heavy depression for a minute..."

Conan's eyes widened.

"My eyes were red for a while afterwards...anyway, I almost got attacked by an obsessed kendoist who thought I was some sort of monster..."

Conan's eyes narrowed, giving him that look of disbelief.

"Got into a petty argument with a noisy Amazon warrior regarding some ramen that I ate..."

One of Conan's eyes started twitching.

"An attempt was made by the kendoist's sister---whose laugh would give you nightmares the rest of your life (and if you don't believe me, I'll prove it to you)---to put me to sleep..."

By this time, Conan's face was a mixture of disbelief and amusement as he tried not to laugh. It was basically the kind of look he gave Rachel's father when he said something dreadfully obvious yesterday, although Phibrizzo wasn't aware of that.

"Finally, a girl carrying a giant spatula gave me my first taste of okonomiyaki. Really great stuff."

This time, Conan couldn't help it. He started laughing, almost to the point of falling over. Phibrizzo, _very_ annoyed, had to wait nearly half a minute before his fellow classmate could recover. "Sorry, Phibrizzo, but those had to have been the funniest things I've ever heard in my life! Energy blasts? Those that cause _depression_, for that matter? Ridiculous!"

"The blast caused depression for _me,_" Phibrizzo said seriously. "For anyone else, they'd have to get out of the way or risk getting caught in the explosion."

The laughter slowly stopped. "Wait a second. Are you really serious about this? Did you really take an energy blast and live to talk about it?" Conan's eyes became wider, indicating his shock level. "_How?_"

Phibrizzo smiled, trying to keep his eyes friendly. "That is a secret, Conan." His smile faded as he thought of the centuries prior to arriving at this point. "I don't want to mess up your work or Richard Moore's by making the impossible possible, so let's just say I'm not your average person and leave it at that, alright?"

Conan's eyes returned to their normal width. "Sorry," he admitted. "It's just that the things you're talking about sound like something out of anime."

_If you only knew._

They spent several seconds walking in silence before the half-mazoku broke it. "Say, Conan, have you ever heard of the Kuno family?"

"I know they're rich, but that's about it," Conan said, shaking his head. "Why?"

Phibrizzo shrugged. "I met up with a few of them yesterday. That's all. Anyway, change of subject: remind me again why I'm going with you to wherever you're heading."

"We're friends, aren't we?"

Blink. "I'm not entirely sure yet, but why'd you bring it up?"

Conan smiled. "Well, if you're going to be hanging around me, there's someone I want you to meet."

His smile was met by curiousity. "Who?"

"Let's just say you're not the only nut that's fallen from the tree."

Curtis and Inuyasha, both of whom had been watching a hockey game inside Phibrizzo's head for the past few hours, couldn't help but snicker at this. Their host, though, didn't think it was funny.

-----

As it turned out, the person they got to meet was none other Doctor Agasa. The trio all agreed that he was somewhat of a wacko, although unlike several certain Neriman residents he had a firm grip on his sanity.

After Phibrizzo, Conan, and Agasa chatted for a bit, the half-mazoku said good-bye and left them on friendly terms. Actually leaving the neighborhood safely, though, was another matter.

No sooner had Phibrizzo reached the sidewalk and turned to find the library than a shrill voice caught his attention from down the street. "Julien!"

"Huh?" Inuyasha asked. "Who's that?"

Phibrizzo squinted in the direction of the voice, still walking. "It looks to be...a brown-haired teenage girl with a pink bow..." He glanced inside his head briefly; Curtis was on the edge of his seat, gritting his teeth. "Curtis, you're acting all antsy. What's with you?"

"She's heading right for you, you idiot!" Curtis shouted, catching Phibrizzo off guard and startling him into halting. The game that he and Inuyasha had been watching was forgotten. "Do you see any other people around here?"

Phibrizzo quickly looked around. "No, I don't..." It was then that the full impact of the situation hit him. "This is bad, right?"

"Julien!" the girl called, getting steadily closer as she ran towards him. "Sweet Julien, come here, please!"

"I can actually see her eyes from here," Phibrizzo groaned, getting more nervous by the second. He shivered violently, taking a few steps back. "Simply terrific---what is she planning to do? I---oh, forget talking," he snapped, panicking when the girl nearly closed the distance. **_"Run awaaaayyyy!"_**

And with that, he turned tail and split.

----

Conan and Agasa both heard an anguished scream and rushed to the window to see what was going on. They arrived just in time to see Phibrizzo tear past the house, trying desperately to stay ahead of a girl who simply screamed "cute".

Both viewers sweatdropped and declined to comment on the spectacle.

-----

Time: Twenty minutes later

And so on the chase went. Running as fast as he was able to without Inuyasha taking over, Phibrizzo had quickly left the residential area behind. He had thought briefly to double back and hide back home, but he didn't want the lovestruck girl knowing where he lived.

Phibrizzo risked a glance behind him, checking to see if the obsessive girl was still behind him. She was, and she seemed to be gaining. _What's with this crazy girl?_

"Talk later!" Curtis growled. "Find a place to hide, fast!"

"I think I see a woman down the street, about to get in her car," Inuyasha suggested. "Maybe that?"

_At this point, I'll try anything!_

-----

As the young woman prepared to get in her car and head off to her destination, her attention was caught by a commotion down the street. "Hmm?"

Squinting just a bit, she found out what it was: a young boy being chased by an older girl, and the boy was not enjoying it at all. If anything, he looked terror-stricken. "It isn't something you see everyday, that's for sure," she told herself.

"Hey, lady! _Help!"_ the boy yelled. "Don't shut the door yet!"

_Huh? He wants to hide in the car? Why?_

Then she heard what his pursuer was shouting: "Julien! Wait, sweet Julien! Come back! Don't go!" Her thought pattern changed to accomodate a single word: _Oh._

Stepping out of the way, the woman allowed enough room for the boy to propel himself over the front seat and into the back, bookbag and all. Before the other girl could follow, the woman had jumped inside and closed the door, quickly starting the car. Ten seconds later, the car was rolling at a decent pace down the road.

The boy got up and looked out the back window, then breathed a sigh of relief and buckled up. "Thanks, lady," he said thankfully. "You're a lifesaver." He fidgeted for a minute, picked up something that was on the floor, then shrugged and dropped it.

_Wish I could say the same of myself..._ "Don't mention it, kid. Where should I drop you off?"

"The library, if it's not too far out of your way. I have some research to do."

"It's not. The place I'm going is just down the street, so I'll just take you there on the way." The woman glanced briefly at the rearview mirror, noticing the boy's raven-colored hair and large, bright eyes. "Glad I got you away from my wayward cousin, huh?"

The boy blinked. "Huh? That girl's your cousin?"

The woman nodded. "Yes. She's from another branch of my family, and she's the kind of person that everyone except her parents and her ice-skating partner stays away from. Her name's Azusa. Azusa Shiratori." She eyed the boy's incredulous expression in the mirror, allowing a smile to appear for the briefest of moments. "I don't suppose you could tell me who you are, hmm?"

"Okay, but don't say anything about the name," the boy said, his face less expressive than before. "It's Phibrizzo."

Funny, because as soon as he said this she had the sudden impulse to say something about the name. Common sense took over, though. "I see. It's nice meeting you."

"Thanks," Phibrizzo told her. "Who are you?"

She considered telling him for a moment, but decided otherwise. Besides, she had no idea if _they_ were listening in. "I'm afraid that's going to have to wait," she said. "Personal reasons."

The boy turned away and stared out the window. "Oh," he murmured. "So _that's_ how it is, huh?"

An uncomfortable silence reigned inside the car for several short seconds. She didn't really like engaging people in conversation, but she was rather curious about Phibrizzo's quiet remark. She slowed down and stopped the car at a red light. "What do you mean?"

"You just plain don't want me knowing who you are," the boy groused. "Am I right? Fine. I can respect another person's privacy, especially when they have secrets of their own to hide."

The young woman didn't even flinch when he said this, although she was wondering how a child like him could have such a viewpoint. "You seem to have quite an attitude."

"So do you," Phibrizzo remarked calmly, turning away from the window. Through the rearview mirror, she was a bit surprised to note that his expression looked vaguely sinister. "I've been meeting a lot of strange people recently. You seemed normal to me when I first saw you, but there's something missing here. Your cold attitude, even when talking about that crazy girl back there; the fact you didn't want to tell me your name; and for some odd reason, even the color of your jacket's on my nerves. Why do I have the feeling that there's something _criminal_ lurking in your mannerisms?"

This time, she _did_ flinch. "This isn't the place to be talking about this," she replied, accelerating a bit as the light turned green. "For someone as young as you to be thinking like this, there'd better be a good reason for it. For all we know, someone could be listening in."

There was a lingering pause, and for a moment the woman thought that the boy had gotten the hint. Before she could say anything, though, Phibrizzo started talking again: "So _that's_ the thing that I stepped on when I sat down. Is it still going to work when it's crushed into pieces?"

Unseen by the boy, the woman smiled briefly. "I'd always wondered if they'd managed to bug the car."

Phibrizzo's face softened, and he actually managed to look rather sheepish. "Whoever put that thing there will probably be angry when they find out. Sorry about that."

"Don't be," the woman told him. "If they ask me about it I'll just tell them that I was helping someone escape from my cousin, and that it got stepped on by accident. Azusa's one of the few people that's actually scared them off." She turned the car at an intersection. "So, do you still want to know my name?"

"Yeah," Phibrizzo said. "I don't want to keep calling you 'miss' or 'lady' each time I see you."

"Well, I can't give you my _real_ name just yet," she said. "And the name I'm giving you now should never be mentioned in public, understand? I'm hoping I can trust you with this."

"I can keep secrets," the boy said, smiling cutely.

_The boy's a lot more mature than he lets on,_ the young woman thought, smiling grimly. _Somehow, I feel I can trust him with this._ "Very well then, kid. When you think of me from now on, think of a fine Spanish wine."

The boy nodded. "A riddle? Neat. By the way, you wouldn't happen to know of any small art studios around here, would you?"

"Not off the top of my head. Why?"

"Once I figure out how, I'm going to get an image of some kind silkscreened onto my T-shirt," Phibrizzo said, moping and indicating his olive-green T-shirt. "All my shirts are plain."

"I do know someone who may be able to help you out," the woman uttered calmly, trying not to sound phased; the boy's repeated changes in moods were beginning to puzzle her a little. "I haven't seen him in a few years, but I guess I could be willing to look him up after my meeting ends."

Phibrizzo perked up. "You'd do that?"

"You were having difficulties with my cousin. I should at least offer you something for your trouble. If you're not at the library when I'm done, meet me tomorrow at the park, noon sharp."

"Great! Um...thanks."

"Don't mention it, Phibrizzo." She stopped the car and indicated something out the window. "You wanted off here, right?"

----------

Phibrizzo stared down the road as the car disappeared from view, then slowly turned and paced into the library. _Before we get started, do either of you know what she---um, Curtis?_

"He disappeared again right after you got out of the car," Inuyasha explained. "Should be popping back in any second now."

He was right. The fat human reappeared in his chair seconds later, wearing a green flannel shirt in addition to his normal loose "Red Wings" T-shirt (Curtis had explained to Phibrizzo and Inuyasha what the design on his shirt was the previous night) and blue jeans. He took a look around him, quickly getting reacquainted with his surroundings before settling in. "Hi, guys," he greeted them, sniffling a little. "About that riddle that lady gave us?"

_Yeah, what about it?_ Phibrizzo followed several signs until he entered a section with numerous art books, then began a slow and methodical check.

"When I was at my school's library, I checked to see what kinds of Spanish wines there were. Out of them, the only one I could think of that matched her was called 'sherry'. It matches up with what little I know about her."

"'Sherry', huh? Sounds mysterious." Inuyasha pretended to examine the buttons on the nearby wall, then resumed staring out at the viewport. "When they want to store information about something, they sure don't kid around, do they?"

_Until you've seen my personal library back home, you haven't seen anything._ Phibrizzo selected a few possible books. _I used to wander the Desert of Destruction back on my homeworld for years at a time. Whenever I wasn't traveling or wrecking havoc, I was storing books and unbound materials in my underground cavern a mile beneath the desert; I had a lot of spare time on my hands after the War of the Monsters' Fall, so I spent a lot of it reading. Before I came here, I figure I must have had at least 80,000 books and a couple hundred manuscripts. Emphasis on **'at least'.**_ He went to a nearby empty table and began browsing through his selection. _Some of them I hadn't finished reading before I learned of Rezo's downfall._

"There's a library back home that has a lot more than that, and I think even you'd be impre---" Curtis sniffed for a second, then stifled a sneeze. Twice, then three times.

_You sound a bit under the weather, fat boy. That's new._

"I've gone from miserable to pathetic," Curtis complained, sniffing again. "Outside of my other conditions, a full-fledged flu just kicked in. My mom thinks I should stay home from school tomorrow just to be on the safe side."

_Just don't sneeze while you're in there,_ Phibrizzo warned. _I don't want to start feeling sick, too._

"I don't think you can catch a cold from me, Phibrizzo," Curtis told him. "I don't think you can catch colds, period."

_Maybe not, but I'm not going to risk it. Showing signs of weakness isn't something that us mazoku are too thrilled with._

"I just remembered---you never did take a bath last night," Inuyasha piped up.

Phibrizzo frowned while he was reading. _I don't give off any sort of smell. What's the big deal?_

"The deal is your parents noticing that you're not cleaning yourself off," Inuyasha said. "When they _do_ notice, they're going to throw a fit. Just figure out how to use the stuff in there, would you?"

_No way, Inuyasha._

Inuyasha eyed the buttons on the wall, grinning. "Do you want me to _make_ you figure out how?"

There was a brief silence as Phibrizzo closed one book and opened up another. _You drive a hard bargain, dog breath._

"I don't think real dogs eat ramen on a daily basis," Curtis muttered, causing a bottle with a dark-blue liquid to materialize in his hand. "So you think taking a bath's a sign of weakness?"

_Well..._

"That, and he's too scared to ask for directions. You think he's ever taken a bath before in his life, Curtis?"

_Guys..._

Curtis took a swig out of the bottle, which Phibrizzo could tell was labeled "Gatorade". "He's probably never needed to, what with the abilities to shape-change and teleport all over the place."

"Nowadays, he won't have a choice!" Inuyasha leaned against the wall. "Not with his new parents around."

Curtis smiled, attempting a falsetto. "'Phibrizzo, honey, did you use soap?' 'Wipe off the floor when you're done, okay?' 'Can't have you destroying things smelling like that, can we?'"

Inuyasha scoffed. "Oh, please. His mother doesn't sound _anything_ like that."

"I have a lousy voice, okay?"

Phibrizzo was halfway to upset by now. _Do you do this to everyone?_

"Nah. Just to those who deserve it."

There was a four-second pause before Phibrizzo's mental voice hit an 11 on a 10-notch volume bar. **_I'll take the stupid bath every now and then! Are you dolts happy? I'm sick of you guys teasing me!_**

"Great," Curtis said, rubbing his ears. "We'll start tonight. This way you'll be ready when Inuyasha takes us out on patrol. Keep your old clothes on hand so that no one outside Nerima---especially Conan---can connect the dots between the two of you."

_Oh, yes, _Phibrizzo replied sarcastically. _I want to be squeaky-clean when we scare the wits out of some common criminal. The police are REALLY going to be impressed._ He flipped through a few more pages before seeing something he liked. _Now quiet down and let me read in peace for a bit, okay? I think I see something I like._

-------

Time: One hour later

Being an efficient reader, it wasn't long before Phibrizzo had gathered all the information he wanted. The next step was to decide exactly what images or phrases he wanted on his shirts. In the meantime, Phibrizzo figured as long as he was at the library he'd see what kind of fiction they had there. So, after putting the art books away, talking to the librarian and getting himself a library card, he began browsing the fiction sections to see if there was anything worth reading.

"To be honest, I didn't think you'd still be here."

Phibrizzo resisted the urge to spin around and yell at whoever had startled him, and instead nearly turned white. He slowly rotated his head and was greeted with the expressionless face of his rescuer from earlier, who said quietly: "Researching fiction, are we?"

Trying not to snap, Phibrizzo kept his voice down and hissed: "Do you sneak up on everyone like that?"

"I wasn't exactly being silent, kid," the woman said. "No matter where you are in here, you should've heard me come in." She folded her arms. "Now, keep quiet about this. Did you figure out my riddle?"

Phibrizzo put the book he was looking at away, then turned back to her. He smiled cutely and beckoned for her to lean closer, giving the outward appearance of a child wanting to tell a secret to an older friend. His voice dropped several decibels lower than it was before. "_Sherry."_

The woman straightened. "Pretty good. You're definitely a lot smarter than you look. Care to sit somewhere so we can talk a bit more?"

Phibrizzo caught a quick peek at a nearby clock. "I've got a few minutes before I have to go home. Sure."

--------

The two of them sat down at a desk near the back of the library. There were several teenage students who were going over materials for a class project, but other than that the general area was pretty empty.

Sherry got straight to the point. "I contacted the person I told you about earlier. He said that if you can give him the designs and one or two of your shirts, he can do the work for you. I've got enough money to pay for it myself if I need to."

"I'll try to come up with a few ideas tonight and get it out tomorrow, then. Where's the address?"

Sherry pulled a piece of note paper out of her jacket pocket and handed it to him. Phibrizzo gazed at the address for a moment, then crammed the paper into a pocket. "Great. Is there anything else you wanted to ask?"

She nodded, staring at him questioningly. "Yes. Apparently you're much more mature than you let on to everyone else. What kind of person are you, really?"

Phibrizzo abruptly turned serious. "You have your secrets. I have mine." He leaned back in his seat a bit. "I know that you trusted me enough to give me a name, even if it was fake. But if anything, the kind of secrets that I---whoa!"

If anyone had seen him lean back in his chair, they would've said that they somehow knew that it was going to tip over and deposit him on the ground. As it happened, Phibrizzo somehow hit the back of his head on the desk behind him as he went down. The school students they'd noticed earlier glanced up briefly, curious.

After several seconds the kid pulled both himself and his chair back to their proper positions, palming the back of his head afterwards and cringing a bit. Sherry stared at him, bemused. "I know this sounds like a loaded question, but are you alright?"

For his part, Phibrizzo showed remarkable self-restraint. "I'm okay. This happened to me yesterday, too. Maybe I'm getting hard-headed or something."

Several seconds of silence passed, during which Phibrizzo's eyes narrowed a bit and the other kids returned to what they were doing. He removed his hand, which started trembling for some reason, from his head. "I can't tell you more about myself. Not just yet. Please understand, miss Sherry."

Sherry's face turned from him to stare at the table. _Just what is he hiding? What secrets could be so important that a child, even a downright mature child like this one, would not want to tell? Did something happen to him before? Have my associates used the pills I created on someone he knew? I wish he would just come out and explain to me what..._

Feeling a sudden sensation from her right hand, Sherry looked down at it. Slowly, she turned her gaze towards Phibrizzo; his trembling hand had placed itself on top of hers, and he was looking at her with an expression that bordered on anxious. "Miss, please."

_I guess I could hold off on questioning him. At least, for now._ She nodded. "Very well. Consider yourself off the hook."

The kid looked relieved that she said that, and he smiled a bit. "Thanks a ton." He turned to face the clock...and paled. "Aw, crud..."

"What is it?"

"I've got to get back home, and fast," Phibrizzo moaned. "If I'm too late for dinner, mom won't let me out of her sight again!" He got up from his seat (unknowingly pushing Sherry's hand into the table as he did so) and bolted.

"Wait a second," Sherry protested, getting up and following him. "I can take you home." She turned a corner at a bookcase, seeing a form flicker. "I can---huh?" She abruptly ground to a halt.

Phibrizzo was gone! Not just disappeared from view, but gone! _I knew he was moving fast, but that's ridiculous!_ She checked at the other end of the library near the entrance. Nothing.

Sherry shook her head. _Slippery little runt. He's a bit of a puzzle, isn't he? Oh, well. I got him away from my cousin, and I gave him that contact information. As long as he doesn't tell anyone he was hanging around ME, I won't have a problem with him._

Expelling a breath, she took her time exiting the library. _Hopefully, I'll never see him again._

----------

Phibrizzo looked up as he appeared behind his home away from home, then uttered a relieved sigh and headed towards the back door. _Glad we made it back on time. I want to see what this stuff tastes like._

"I know you had to leave in a hurry," Inuyasha remarked, "but someone could've walked by and seen you teleport like that."

_Well, no one did. I don't think that "Sherry" woman did, either. So there._

Phibrizzo stepped inside, removing his shoes as he did so. "Mom, I'm back!"

Sylvia looked up from where she was calmly making dinner. "Hello, Phibrizzo," she said, smiling. "Marcus has to work a little late at the TV station, so dinner's going to be a little while. I'd just started to make it now."

Phibrizzo went to look out the window so that Sylvia wouldn't see his annoyed expression. His foster mother noticed this action, but not his face. "So, where'd you go today?"

"Didn't get as far as I would've liked," he complained. "Walked around for a bit with the other new kid from school, got chased by a girl and rescued by her older cousin, and spent the rest of the time at the library looking at art stuff." _And thanks to those books, I have an idea of what I want to put on those shirts._

"I see; at least you've managed to keep yourself busy." Sylvia turned back to her cooking. "By the way, Phibrizzo, my sister-in-law's going to be coming by for dinner tomorrow. I want you to be here so you can meet your new aunt."

_New aunt?_ "Who's she?" Phibrizzo asked, looking away from the window.

"Well, she likes kids; but she can turn cold if you get on her bad side, so don't bother her too much. She's Marcus's older sister, Eva."

Inside Phibrizzo's mind, Curtis nearly fell out of his chair. "_Eva Kaden?_ I can't believe I didn't see that one coming!"

The half-mazoku idly rubbed his temples, responding to Sylvia's statement. "Oh. Okay." _So what's the big deal, fatty?_

'Fatty' sniffed. "The deal is, Phibrizzo, is that you're now related by adoption to Rachel Moore." After a brief pause, Curtis added in a deadpan: "Conan Edogawa's girlfriend."

Phibrizzo massaged his temples a bit harder, sweatdropping. _Curtis, I'm really starting to dislike you._

"Get over it," Inuyasha said bluntly. "What's so bad about having a few friends? You can't hide in that little prison of yours forever."

_My first and only attempt at friendship ended in disaster._ Phibrizzo frowned as he thought of prior events from several centuries ago. _Don't ask me to elaborate, because I won't_.

"That's a stupid way of thinking," Inuyasha told him, standing up. "Just because it happened once isn't reason enough to forget about it all the other times." He smirked. "Take me, for instance. I couldn't have become what I am now without having friends to back me up."

_Annoying, you mean?_

"You know what I'm talking about, brat. Don't pretend I don't, so just go on and give it a shot."

Phibrizzo lowered his gaze. _I'm telling you that it's not going to work out._

"Too bad. Forget about it."

_...On one condition._

"What's that?"

_That if things don't go well, neither of you will give me advice again. Alright?_

Unaware that the other chamber's occupant was doing the same, Inuyasha and Curtis both nodded and spoke. "Alright."

Sylvia interrupted them before further conversation could be made. "Excuse me, but Marcus told me that you're having trouble with sugar drinks."

Phibrizzo smiled and faced Sylvia. _Living for the present and future...at least I know I can deal with this situation in that fashion._ "Yeah. I actually had to struggle to keep from going crazy when I had fruit punch the other night."

**End flashback**

----------

**(BGM --- "Waiting for the Night", from Depeche Mode)**

Curtis recalled that Sylvia had suggested that Phibrizzo try several diet sodas that were on the market sometime. They were okay, as long as they weren't consumed too often; having too much of them could actually cause a person to forget minor matters and the like.

After a bit, Marcus had came home; he had some breaking news to cover at the TV station before he could go. _Neat that he works as a news anchorman. I'll have to remember that._

"Game over, Curtis."

The fat human looked down at the game board. Most of the game pieces were gone, although there were still about seven of them left altogether. One of them---Inuyasha's remaining red #6 piece---was occupying the spot where his flag used to be.

Curtis looked up into Inuyasha's grinning face, annoyed. "I don't know about you, Inuyasha. How'd you get so good at this on your first time?"

"You're upset, aren't you?"

"You bet I'm upset."

Inuyasha kept up his smirk. "Care to play again?"

"Gladly."

_Well, guys, I've finished my designs. I think they look pretty good, if I say so myself._

The duo started taking back their respective pieces and began to arrange them on the board according to their liking. "Really?" Curtis asked. "What are they?"

_Sorry, _Phibrizzo said, sounding smug. _You're just going to have to wait a few days to find out._

"You're trying to drive us crazy with suspense, aren't you?"

_Just trying to keep your curiousity piqued, you overinflated pillow._

"Yes, I'd say your plan is definitely working," Curtis uttered calmly, trying to decide where to put his flag.

"I'm surprised you don't get mad when he calls you those names," Inuyasha said, continuing to set up pieces on his side of the board. "If I were another person right now, I'd be in his face and screaming at him."

Curtis shrugged. "Being insulted and teased by jerks and dislikeful people for thirteen years can prepare a person for a lot of things, and having time to think on it got rid of a lot of my anger. Besides, there's no denying that I'm overweight."

Phibrizzo snickered. _You're not overweight. At least, not for a midget troll._

One of Curtis's eyes twitched for a second, but the human didn't retaliate. "See? That's exactly what I'm talking about."

_Whatever the case, I like picking on you. So, what time is it now?_

Curtis looked over at one of the monitors; the time on it was displayed in bright green numbers. "It's almost 9:30."

Inuyasha nodded. "I think it'll only be a few more minutes before Phibrizzo's parents go to bed. After this kid takes a bath, we'll be all set for some roof-hopping in an hour and a half. I'm going to change the patrol route a little."

Phibrizzo groaned, sticking his drawings inside a small desk drawer and putting his wristband and bracelet on top of it; said desk had been there when he'd moved in. _I wish you hadn't reminded me about the bath..._ he moaned irritably as he got up to go out the door.

"Hey, you _did_ promise. You go first this time, Curtis."

--------

_Chapter Three concluded. Chapter Four soon to commence_

**Author's Notes**

I know that the possibility of Azusa and "Sherry" being cousins is highly unlikely. That, of course, is one of the reasons why I did it. As for Azusa being able to scare away people from that organization? We'll find out about it some other time.

Phibrizzo becoming acquainted with Conan (and the good doctor) is going to come in handy for him later. Mark my words.

Heh, heh.


	9. Chapter Four Part A

WHAT INSERTION?

by Curtis Wildcat

_Chapter Four _--- Moore Than a Power Trip

--------

**(Cue theme)**

--------

Place: Two blocks from Beika Park

Time: Mid-to-late morning, the next day

The following morning while they spent an hour waiting for Marcus or Sylvia to "wake them up" (Phibrizzo didn't need to sleep, so he just rested on his side with his eyes open), the trio had set several goals for the day: #1, take one of the plain T-shirts and the suggested pictures over to Sherry's contact so he could work on silkscreening the designs; #2, establish the teleportation points throughout Tokyo's various districts and wards; and #3, see what they could do about compensating for Phibrizzo's current state. They figured that they had plenty of time to finish, considering that he didn't have school that day.

The first goal was easy to accomplish. After breakfast, Phibrizzo took his dark violet T-shirt (he'd thought about taking two shirts, but he didn't want his foster parents to get suspicious) and the designs and searched the streets until he came across his destination. Upon their arrival, a large man had welcomed them in and motioned them towards his studio at the back of his office; he said he'd gotten a call from an old friend who said to expect a black-haired kid to show up. The friend had even agreed to cover the charges, and had lived up to her word several minutes before Phibrizzo arrived. The half-mazoku turned over the shirt and the designs, and after a short discussion the man told him that he could pick up his shirt in two days. Satisfied, Phibrizzo had thanked him and left the office with a small smile.

They hadn't gotten very far in their second goal. Phibrizzo had let Inuyasha take charge on each respective trip in order to reach their destinations quicker. After they'd established points in five different districts from Shinbuya to Shinjuku, Inuyasha had switched back so that Phibrizzo could teleport them back to their starting point, which they now knew was somewhere in Beika, Tokyo. Before they could head out to establish another set of points, their three initial acquintances from Teitan Elementary---Amy, Mitch, and George---had stumbled across them. Upon being reminded that Phibrizzo had agreed to spend some time with them today, he relented and was now following along behind them towards the park.

"Hey, guys," Mitch was saying, a frisbee under one arm. "Did any of you hear that rumor that's been going around?"

Phibrizzo figured he knew what he was referring to, but asked: "What rumor is that?"

"They say that this strange person with white hair and quick speed has been appearing around town," Mitch explained. "They mentioned him on the news the other day."

"Oh, yeah," Amy said cheerfully. "I've heard of the person before!"

George nodded. "So have I. They said on the news this morning that he stopped a group of thugs from robbing a hotel last night. Didn't the news guy say that one look at him caused some of them to turn white?"

Phibrizzo smiled. Even though Inuyasha's white hair and his borrowed medieval outfit made him look slightly out of place, he'd turned downright scary the second he unsheathed his sword. "Wouldn't want to run into _that_ person anywhere," he stated, thinking about the incident. Two of the thugs had willingly given up, while the others didn't convince themselves to do the same until Inuyasha quickly took their guns from them and destroyed them with several strokes. He'd stuck around long enough for the police to arrive and arrest the men, then bolted to resume his patrol.

The others nodded. "I'll say," Amy said. "With that white hair and old clothes, he'd probably scare anyone. I hope I don't see him myself."

"Did they say anything else about him? I mean, besides the hair and clothes?" George asked.

Mitch looked at him, apprehensive. "Yeah. They said that he carries a 'huge sword' around with him, and that he's just over a meter tall. As if that's possible."

The conversation, in Phibrizzo's opinion, slowly degenerated to how it could be possible for someone that size to carry such a huge weapon---or, for that matter, on why anyone would carry around a sword in this day and age. Eventually, the subject changed when they came within sight of the park.

"We're going to have to find a way to get away from them and finish getting those points set up," Curtis spoke up. The human still wasn't looking well, but he looked anxious to be under way regardless. "Maybe we could call it quits before lunch, grab a bite, and then finish them off during the afternoon."

_We'll have to do it soon, no matter how we plan it, _Phibrizzo murmured mentally. _Like we agreed on, we'll need to know where everything is so that we know where to go._

"Looks like we're delayed for now, then," Inuyasha remarked. "Oh, well. It's not like we're in any sort of rush."

A girl's delighted cry interrupted the conversation that was taking place between George and the others; this caused them to stop and look for the source. Phibrizzo spotted it behind them before they did...and froze.

"Julien! I've got something for you!"

"Who's that?" Amy asked. "And why's she running towards us?"

"She's not running towards you," Phibrizzo moaned aloud. "She's running towards _me._ Doesn't that girl have practice to go to or something?"

Azusa had indeed sighted the half-mazoku and was racing towards him; she had two bows in her hair instead of one, but she'd switched her dress for slacks and a long-sleeved shirt. She must've anticipated that she'd be running again.

Phibrizzo backed away past his schoolmates, looking more and more nervous with each passing second. "Hate to leave you like this, but I'm gonna have to go. If she's going to be hanging around, I want to be as far away as I can! See ya!" After that farewell, he spun around and scampered off like a frightened squirrel.

Azusa raced past the trio, causing a small breeze to pick up briefly. "Wait, Julien! Come back!" she called as she ran. "What about brunch?"

The trio of kids sweatdropped and shook their heads. "Some kids get all the attention," George muttered.

"Looks like love at first sight," Amy decided.

Mitch shrugged. "For her, anyway. Who here thinks that Phibrizzo's afraid of girls?"

Everyone raised their hands, then lowered them and continued towards the park. At some point or another, they started wondering how Conan was doing.

---------

The secretive woman who had helped Phibrizzo yesterday, "Sherry", parked her car and headed out to the store. Considering the work she did within the organization, her health ranked amoung the most important things in her life. It wasn't _the_ most important, of course...

"_Get away from me, you psycho girl!"_

Sherry blinked, then turned around---and almost got knocked over as a familiar figure blasted past her. "Sorry about that!" she heard him yell as he continued on, not slowing down. "_Gangway!"_

It was only about two seconds later that she saw Azusa run by, somehow keeping pace with Phibrizzo's speedy clip. "I know this really great restaurant! Julien, come back!"

Sherry blinked again. "I hope he's not expecting me to bail him out again," she said to herself. "The less time spent around her, the better."

She waited a bit, watching as the two of them were soon blocked from view by other pedestrians; they too watched the kids run by for a few seconds. Shaking her head slowly, she continued on into the store. _This'll become a daily occurance. I just know it._

-------

Time: Several minutes later

_Blast it! Are those running shoes? She was fast enough wearing those **heeled** shoes!_

"On the whole, I've never liked girls too much," Curtis sniffed. Even after dodging around multiple pedestrians the past five minutes and running like mad, Phibrizzo still hadn't lost his pursuer. "They're a complete mystery. See anyplace you can hide?"

Inuyasha pointed off to the side of the chamber's viewport. "There's that 'Moore Detective Agency' you told us about," he suggested. "Turn in there, quick!"

"Julien, why won't you come back?" Azusa called after them. "All I want is to treat you to brunch!"

-----------

Conan stared out the window, blissfully bored. Richard was half-asleep at his desk, hardly paying him any attention. Nearby, Rachel was reading something and waiting by the telephone; her friend Serena had promised her that she'd call her if she was doing anything.

Half-wondering if there was _anything_ going on, Conan yawned and let his eyes droop halfway shut. _I wish SOMETHING would happen. Anything! Ever since I got back from Agasa's house earlier, nothing's happened!_

Someone yelled from down the street: "_My name's **not** Julien, you crazy klepto!"_

Conan's eyes opened as he tried to see who had shouted. When he did, he recognized the person immediately. _Phibrizzo? What's he doing here?_ He focused a bit more, noticing the older girl whom he'd seen running after his classmate yesterday. _Still after him, huh? At least she doesn't give up._

There was a thud as Phibrizzo reached the door of the building, yanked it open, and slammed it shut behind him. There was another thud as the girl opened the door and followed him in. "Come back, please!"

This got Rachel's attention. "Hey, who just shouted?"

Conan ran from the window and towards the door, reaching up and pulling it open partially. He was still in the way when Phibrizzo shoved his way in, nearly pushing the smaller kid into the wall. Spinning around, the black-haired kid grabbed the door and slammed it shut, jarring Richard awake.

Rachel looked at Conan's classmate sternly. "What's going on?"

Someone pounded on the door, then tried to open it. Phibrizzo braced himself against the door; taking the hint, Conan decided to do the same. "Lady," the first kid shouted, ignoring Rachel, "I do not want to go to brunch with you. And for the last time, _stop calling me 'Julien'!_ Now go away and leave me alone!"

The pounding persisted for a bit more, then stopped. Putting his ear to the door, Conan thought he could hear a bit of sniffling. Shortly afterward, even that stopped as the noise of footsteps subsided. The door out to the street opened, and then shut.

Phibrizzo straightened and sighed, relieved. "Thought that girl would never leave." He looked up, seeing Rachel's stern expression and Richard's irritated look. He scratched the back of his head nervously. "Um, I didn't bother any of you, did I?"

"Who are you?" Richard asked, annoyed. "Who was that girl?"

"A kleptomaniac, that's who," Phibrizzo muttered. "You ever hear of the name 'Azusa Shiratori', detective?"

Richard frowned, likely not recognizing the name. Rachel seemed to, though. "I have. I think she's part of an ice-skating duo called 'The Golden Pair'. I've never seen her except in the paper, though." She looked at Phibrizzo intently. "Why's she after you?"

"Isn't it obvious? Because she's nuts. She chased me here clear from the park." Conan's classmate seemed to remember what he was supposed to do; he bowed just a little. "Sorry if I bothered you any. My name's Phibrizzo, and I'm in the same class as Conan is." The corners of his mouth twitched. "And don't say anything about the name, okay?"

Richard leaned back in his chair, still a bit suspicious but at the same time disappointed that it wasn't a client. Rachel nodded, accepting Phibrizzo's presence even if it was completely unexpected. "Alright. Come in. You want anything to drink?"

"No thanks," Phibrizzo said, shaking his head as he walked farther into the room. Conan followed him at a slower pace. "As soon as I think it's safe to leave, I'll be heading out again."

Conan smiled, interested. "So how's that little trip of yours coming along?"

"I dropped in on Shinjuku earlier this morning." One of Rachel's eyebrows raised at this. "Neat place if you can stand the noise and the crowds. I didn't stay there for very long."

Rachel smiled. Sounded like he knew how to get around. "That's nice. So you're one of Conan's friends?"

Phibrizzo seemed to think on this for a moment. "Yeah, I guess so. I got adopted a few nights ago, and his school seemed the best choice." He looked up at her. "I know I'm changing the subject, but do you know anyone named Marcus?"

"Yeah...he's my uncle," Rachel said hesitantly. "You know him?"

Surprising everyone, Phibrizzo jumped several feet in the air and hugged her. "_Cousin!"_

Too surprised to react, Rachel let herself get dragged down to the floor. Richard jumped to his feet, surprised. Conan looked on, his eyes wide. _What?_

---------

_What...just happened?_ Phibrizzo sounded stunned.

Curtis's voice was heard from another speaker. "Inuyasha, did you just do something over there?"

Inuyasha didn't say anything, smirking. His hand, which had pressed down on a button labeled "Impulsive Hug", drew away as he backed off.

-------

Phibrizzo withdrew away from Rachel, letting her stand up. He slowly turned to Conan. "Tell me, Conan," he said quietly. "Did I just yell 'cousin', jump up and hug her?"

Conan slowly nodded; it was surprising enough as it was. All three on-lookers continued looking on, unsure of what the response would be.

Their response came soon. Phibrizzo slowly sank to the floor, his face a bright shade of crimson as it stared straight ahead. His arms hung limp. "I...I...I...I..."

Richard walked towards him and smacked the back of his head. "Snap out of it, kid!"

Phibrizzo finally did, but he maintained the same posture. "I didn't mean to do that...I don't know what came over me..."

Rachel blinked, her mind getting back in gear. "Hold on a second. Did you just say I'm your cousin?"

"Yes. By adoption." Conan noted that Phibrizzo refused to move, and that his face hadn't yet resumed its normal coloring. "Does your uncle have blue eyes, somewhat of a stocky build to him, and a cheerful disposition? Looks middle-aged but isn't?"

"Yes."

"Then it's the same guy I'm thinking of."

"Never really thought of Marcus as the adoptive type," Richard said. He reached down and ruffled Phibrizzo's hair, still looking somewhat tired. "At any rate, welcome to the family, kid."

"The same," Rachel added, frowning. "And for goodness sake, could you get up and stop blushing? Hugs aren't _that_ embarassing!"

_Admit it, Rachel,_ Conan thought. _That surprised you. Just say it._

Phibrizzo pulled himself to his feet, although it took a while for his face to return to normal. "That was the first time I ever did that, okay?"

"I kind of understand how you feel," said Rachel. "So how's Sylvia doing? Has she gotten better at all?"

"A little. Dad thinks that my coming along must've had something to do with it."

Conan continued watching Rachel, Richard, and Phibrizzo converse, although his thoughts were elsewhere. _I remember being introduced to Rachel's uncle Marcus about a week ago. He seemed like a really nice man, but it was tempered a bit by the fact that his only son died of some sort of sickness. He told me that his wife, Sylvia, used to be extremely enthusiastic up to that point; afterwards, she let her grief affect her health. No wonder Marcus decided to adopt someone._

"Anyway, I should get going," Phibrizzo was saying. "I think she's gone by now. Do you mind if I come by sometime and spend time with Conan?"

_He looks like a normal child, but there's something back there. It's almost as if he's older than he actually is. He didn't get shrunk by them too, did he? Even if he didn't, though, I think I could get to like this guy._

"Sure," Rachel said, smiling. "Anytime."

Richard shrugged. "Fine with me. Just try not to get in the way. Is that alright, brat?"

It took a second for Conan to realize that Richard was talking to him. "Oh...okay!" he said cheerfully.

Phibrizzo nodded and started edging toward the door, smiling politely. "Great. See you again!" He turned around and cautiously poked his head out the door...

...and immediately started flailing wildly, almost losing his bracelet in the process. "Hey! Let me go, lady! Let me..." His flailing subsided. "...Wha...I..."

Conan hurried over to the door and pulled Phibrizzo back in, just as Rachel came over and closed it again. Richard stepped over to the window, probably to see if whoever it was that had done that had really gone outside. A second later, the other door slammed shut; Richard nodded, then went to see what the matter was with Conan's classmate.

Said classmate had slumped down again upon being brought in, his face somehow being two shades of red on opposite sides. Rachel shook his shoulder a few times. "Phibrizzo? You okay?" Conan asked, concerned.

"No," Phibrizzo murmured. "I'm not okay."

"Why?" Rachel inquired. "What happened?"

"I'll tell you what happened," the boy said quietly, his shoulders now shaking of their own accord. Without further warning, he glared at them and roared: **_"That psycho klepto kissed me!"_**

Everyone's hair was blown back by the force of the yell.

While Phibrizzo fumed, Conan edged closer and noticed a slight mark on his right cheek. His eye twitched as realization hit him, and an amused smile formed as he tried not to laugh. _No wonder his face looks that way...he's embarassed **and** angry,_ he thought as he tried to smooth down his hair.

--------

Meanwhile, someone else wasn't having the same degree of success---both of Phibrizzo's 'parasites' were cracking up. The chambers themselves were glowing a light pink.

"Alright, it may not be funny to you..." Inuyasha started, supporting himself against the wall of his chamber as he tried to get himself under control.

"But it sure is to _us!"_ Curtis finished, continuing to laugh until he erupted into a coughing fit.

_If either of you mention this to **anyone** when you take over, I'm not going to give you guys a moment's peace again!_

"In the situation you're in, annoying us is about all you can do," Curtis said after he finished coughing. He mentally noted that Inuyasha had gotten his laughter under control.

Phibrizzo mentally groaned as the pink glow subsided and was replaced by a slight red glow. _Leave me alone. Just leave me alone._

Curtis looked up at the speaker and nodded. Deciding not to bother Phibrizzo any further, he walked over to the television and began to see if he could get an NES to materialize.

---------

It took a few seconds for them to convince Phibrizzo to get up. With some help from Rachel, he was finally able to stand on his own. After mumbling: "I guess I'll see you later", he walked out the door and exited the building, scowling.

Richard looked out the window as the kid slowly walked down the street. "That kid's scary."

Conan nodded. _No kidding, Richard._

"Uh-huh," Rachel said, doubtful. "I don't know. No boy should act like that after getting kissed by a girl."

Conan walked over to the couch and plopped down on it, hearing the phone ring and Richard answering it. _He's a strange one, that's for sure. There's something that came up, though..._ He listened without interest as Richard passed the phone over to Rachel. _What's with that slight black outline I saw around his body when he left? I hope I'm not just imagining things._

--------

For some time, Phibrizzo half-heartedly wandered the streets around the agency, still upset. Inuyasha decided that he was better off leaving the half-mazoku alone and dozed off. Curtis, in the meantime, was fiddling around with a device connected to the television in his chamber.

Phibrizzo didn't say anything, though. He wasn't calm enough to communicate to the others how he felt, so he just stayed quiet. It wasn't until he heard his stomach rumbling slightly that he decided to brood over some lunch.

Walking into a place where no one could see him, Phibrizzo focused and teleported away.

--------

Place: The Cat Cafe, Nerima district

Time: Five minutes later

Shampoo sighed quietly to herself as she passed out food to the few customers that were in the Cafe. It was the lull before the lunch rush, and as much as she wanted to see what Ranma and Co. were up to she knew that Cologne and the dummy would need her around. _Oh, well. Such is life around here,_ she thought.

She turned around, seeing the door open. Her demeanor returned to normal when she saw who it was. "Hello!" she greeted as Phibrizzo walked in and went to a corner table. "Small boy want ramen, yes?"

"Two regular and one special," the 'small boy' muttered quietly, not bothering to take offense at her remark. "And a diet cola if you have any."

Shampoo nodded, turning and walking towards the kitchen to give Cologne his order. She returned a few minutes later with said order in hand. "Here, but why no ask for specific kind?"

Phibrizzo didn't respond, instead taking the meal and setting to work on it half-heartedly. After a few minutes, he paused to look at her. "You ever hear of the Golden Pair, Shampoo?"

"Strange pair of skaters? Yes," Shampoo said. "Why?"

"I was tricked into getting kissed by a klepto," the boy growled, drinking some of the cola. "It's the most embarassing thing that's ever happened to me in my life."

Shampoo stared curiously at the boy. "Why so depressed? If think of other things, kiss may not seem bad."

"Maybe not to you."

"Shampoo pretend not to hear that," Shampoo said warningly. She sat down at the table, seeing as no other customers had walked in yet. "It not wise to upset Amazon warrior."

Phibrizzo ignored the comment, instead eating some more of his lunch. Shampoo spoke again. "Anyone see Phibrizzo get kissed?"

"I'll say," Phibrizzo muttered. "A school classmate, my cousin, and her father. It was bad enough that the crazy girl kissed me to begin with, but to do it with others watching? I'd much rather jump in the path of another Shi Shi Hokodan."

Shampoo thought for a moment, trying to remember if any of her great-grandmother's teachings had covered this sort of thing. She wondered what he meant when he mentioned Ryoga's attack, but set it aside for later thinking. After a bit, she remembered something that had been mentioned to her as an aside after an encounter with Mousse a few years ago. "Small boy forget small problem," she suggested. "Do best not to fall for crazy girl's tricks. Avoid at all costs."

"Easier said than done. That girl's scary." Phibrizzo finished off the ramen. "Besides, what if she catches me again?"

"Use distraction. It work for airen and panda-man."

"Panda-man?"

"Airen's father."

Phibrizzo remained downcast, staring into his drinking cup. "Hmm...I dunno. She's chased after me a few times, and she seems to have a one-track mind. Unless there's something she sees and wants better than me, she probably will stick on me like glue."

Shampoo recalled a recent kitchen incident that she'd witnessed at the Tendo home. "Or like violent girl's last cooking attempt. Not-food stuck to inside of pot. Needed hose and jackhammer to remove and throw away."

Phibrizzo looked up for a second, then looked back down. At first, Shampoo thought he hadn't found it funny; then he noticed that the boy had nodded his head just a bit. It was then that several subtle changes in the boy---the brown hair and the increase in weight---were made evident. It was clear to her that whatever personality had been in control during his encounter with Kodachi had just reasserted itself. Shame that the insane gymnast hadn't noticed.

"Miss Shampoo? Since Phibrizzo is too down in the dumps to get his own life organized, I'm going to take matters in my own hands. First, I need you to do me a favor."

"What does small boy want?"

"What this small boy wants..." Phibrizzo held up the empty trey and flashed a bright smile. "...is a second helping!"

Shampoo almost fell to the floor, but caught herself. "Not fat enough?"

"Nuh-uh. Not full enough. Second helping, please!"

----------

Time: Thirty minutes later

Location: Just outside Beika Library

A quiet _snap-hiss_ marked Curtis's rearrival in Beika. Not knowing how Phibrizzo teleported around, he'd asked Inuyasha to check if there were any buttons marked 'teleport' or the like. After the hanyou had pressed down on it, all Curtis had to do was imagine the library in order to return back to his home away from home.

"It was nice of that near-blind guy to give us that attack demonstration," Inuyasha said, "but whatever for? Are you trying to see if the brat can do the same thing?"

"Well, sort of," Curtis explained. He walked past the library, toning down his voice so that no passers-by could hear him talking. _We can't fry anyone around here---it's just plain not a good idea. However, we can defend ourselves whenever you're not in control._ _Do you know what 'subspace' is, by any chance?_

Inuyasha shook his head. Behind him in the green pillar Phibrizzo floated silently, looking downcast and probably still upset with them.

_Well, you remember those little yellow orbs that Phibrizzo used against Lina's friends back in his homeworld? I'm not sure if you noticed, but he didn't make those things on the spot. He was storing them in a pocket dimension, or subspace. Think of subspace as an empty storage shed, only a lot bigger. With me so far?_

"Yeah."

_Suppose for the sake of argument that we decided to put the Tetsusaiga in a subspace pocket---which is a much smaller portion of subspace adapted for personal use. It's hidden from view and we know its there, but no one else can see it. I didn't say invisible; I said hidden. However, if we needed to we could reach into the subspace pocket and bring out the sword. That guy we saw earlier, Mousse, uses a somewhat similar principle with his Hidden Weapons Techniques. That's why most of his attacks seemed to come out of nowhere._

"From what I understand, it seems pretty neat. Where are you going to find non-lethal stuff to use, though?"

Curtis tried to remember a specific store that he'd noted somewhere on one of the maps they'd obtained, then smiled. _Shouldn't be a problem. For Phibrizzo, it'll make for a nice introduction to standard human recreation._

"What do you mean?"

Curtis stepped behind a tree outside of an auto-repair shop, out of view of pedestrians. _Take over, Inuyasha. I'll point the way. There's a sporting goods store out there with our names on it!_

Not sure, Inuyasha shrugged and initiated a Switch. Gaining control, he darted first into the tree and from there on top of the shop. Facing the direction that Curtis next pointed him to, he dashed off and left only a brief breeze behind.

------

Down below, a person lazing idly in the shadowed part of the auto-repair shop perked up. "Huh? I think I heard something," she said, her voice indicating that she was female.

A boy, probably no older than eleven, shifted slightly so that he could see her from where he was examining a car. "What was it?"

"I'm not sure," the person said, sitting up. "But I'm going to find out. If I'm not back in thirty minutes, go ahead and eat without me. Okay?"

While she was saying this, the boy continued to examine the car. The next time he looked, though, the person was gone.

------

_To be continued_


	10. Chapter Four Part B

WHAT INSERTION?

by Curtis Wildcat

_Chapter Four, Part B _--- It's Just You

--------

**(Cue theme)**

--------

Place: A short distance from intended destination

Time: Late morning---early afternoon

"Where is this place, anyway?" Inuyasha asked impatiently. "When you asked me to switch back, I thought that meant that we'd gotten there already."

_We can't let people see you during the day,_ Curtis told him as he walked past numerous stores. _There **have** been people who've seen me today. If by any chance they saw you in the same getup I'm in now, someone might get suspicious._

Phibrizzo floated silently within the pillar of green liquid behind Inuyasha, not saying a word and not even listening to them speak. He wasn't sure why he thought like this, so...so angry with himself and the world in general, wanting to just stay hidden. He felt like his very self...not just his self, but his very identity was in danger. Ever since he'd came to this world, it had been one mishap after another; he felt that if this went on, he'd just keep acting out of character until one day he'd start acting like another person altogether. This worried him.

_What is happening to me? _he asked himself. _ Why am I questioning what I am after just one miserable encounter with a human female...albeit one that displays kleptomanic tendencies from time to time, but still a human female? I'm supposed to be Ruby Eye's most powerful supporter! Humans are supposed to be below me!_

_But if that's the case, why am I so upset with myself for my actions...and so afraid of the unknown? If I'm supposed to face life head-on, what's keeping me from doing so?_

"Hold on one second," Inuyasha was saying to Curtis, who was staring dejectedly at the seemingly empty (no people inside, not even a clerk) sporting goods store that they'd gotten to. "You mean people actually make a living by playing those games?"

_Yeah, I'll say,_ Curtis thought. _It's rather silly, isn't it? It's a wonder that---wait a second. Inuyasha, did you hear someone tailing us at all when we went over here?_

"Yeah. It didn't seem threatening, so I didn't say anything about it." Inuyasha's ears twitched. "In fact, I do believe she's standing right behind us."

That was all the warning Curtis got. Someone behind him tapped his shoulder, applying some force to it. "Hi, kid," a female voice growled.

Curtis slowly turned around. Phibrizzo pulled his head up a fraction, the strange voice interrupting his thoughts. _There's something about that voice that doesn't sound human,_ he thought to himself.

The figure that had tapped Curtis was brown-skinned and stood at least two feet taller than him. She was wearing blue jeans and a long-sleeved sweatshirt, which was strange considering that it was actually a mild day. Long gray hair hung off her head in a heavy braid, nearly reaching her knees; a baseball cap was perched above narrowed blue eyes, and a yellow headband could be seen in the space that was left. At the moment, she was staring down at him with a strange smirk on her face.

Curtis hesitated to speak to her, a bit put off by her appearance. "Um...yes?"

The figure folded her arms. "You wouldn't, by any chance, know anything about a strange noise I heard at my friend's repair shop about ten minutes ago, would you?"

_Didn't we **start** ten minutes ago?_ Curtis asked.

"It wasn't any sooner or later than that," Inuyasha said, annoyed.

_Hold on. I think it was a car repair shop that we started from when we went here..._ "I think so. I think I may have been the cause of it." Which was true; he'd suggested this trip to the store in the first place.

"Funny," the young woman murmured suspiciously. "I didn't think anyone could've gotten off the roof that quickly without using the ladder first. Instead of footprints on the ladder, I found some fallen leaves where there shouldn't have been."

"Are you a detective, lady?" Curtis asked.

The woman's eyes widened, and she held out her hands nervously. "No way," she said to him. "There's no way I could be a detective. I was just curious about stuff, that's all. In fact..." she pointed behind Curtis at the store. "I work in that very store you're standing outside of!"

_That'll make it easy._ "Great. Could you let us in?"

The woman twiddled her fingers nervously. "Well, I'm supposed to be off work today. The manager and his other helpers are in the back of the store counting inventory, and they didn't want me selling stuff without one of them watching. I don't think they trust me," she said, finishing her explanation with a whining edge to it. She muttered under her breath: "Accidentally damage a baseball bat, and they mark you for life..."

"Oh, come on," Curtis begged, sweatdropping at the woman's aside. "I can pick out what I need and pay for it. You don't even have to help me! Could you please let me in?"

For a moment, the woman looked like she was going to argue. She abruptly caved in without warning, though. "Aw, I never could resist kids," she said, a wide smile evident. She reached into a pocket and pulled out a key, then executed a mock salute. "Come on in. Miss June is at your service!" She unlocked the door, then ushered him in.

Curtis chuckled. _At least he's playing his role as a younger kid quite well,_ Phibrizzo noted silently.

--------

Miss June stepped near the counter and leaned on it as the well-rounded kid made a beeline for the golf clubs, examining each one intently. Then...he went on to look at basically every available piece of equipment in the store, muttering to himself all the while.

_Cute...he must really be into sports. To think I used to be like that while I was still being homeschooled. If only more people considered me one of their own instead of regarding me as different..._ Miss June propped her chin on one hand and yawned. _So what if I look like this. What's the deal?_

The kid heard her yawn and turned toward her. "You okay?"

"Huh? Oh, I'm fine. I just haven't had much sleep, that's all. Go ahead and take your pick!"

The kid shrugged, then went towards the tennis section to find a racquet. His search was interrupted by the "Employees Only" door opening, letting the manager---a blonde-haired man of about Aisha's height but over twice her age---into the room.

The man looked around, surprised and then displeased to see both Miss June and the kid in the same room. "Miss June, what have I told you about being here without one of us present?" he asked, sounding exasparated.

"Aw, you know I can't stand to see little kids beg!" Miss June whined. "Besides, he said he'd look himself!"

The man sighed, nodding his head a little. He turned to the kid. "Excuse me, young man. She's a bit of a flake. May I help you?"

"I don't mind," the kid said, shrugging. He let his gaze wander around the tennis section. "I've seen worse. And as for help, I'm sort of having trouble choosing a tennis racquet."

The manager raised an eyebrow. "Really? Most of these racquets aren't made for someone your size."

"I can handle them." As he said those words, the kid's eye seemed caught by a racquet hung near the ceiling. "That one right there. The purple one with the green strings. I'd get it myself, but...well, you know."

The manager raised an eyebrow, but turned to Miss June. "Could you get me that stepladder, please?"

Miss June nodded. "Right away!" she declared, hurrying behind the counter and pulling out the stepladder she needed to get. She set it down near the racquets, then stepped onto the ladder intending to get the racquet herself.

Her boss stopped her, though. He placed one hand on her shoulder, getting her attention. "Not so fast, Miss June," he said. "The last two times you used this ladder, you wound up spilling the merchandise on top of a customer. I think that kid Kudo's still stinging from the 'soccer bat' incident."

Miss June laughed nervously, then stepped off the ladder. When she got down, she saw that the kid had stepped to the side. Sweating a little, she figured that if the kid hadn't moved, she would've stumbled into him and knocked them both over. _That would've gotten me fired for sure...or at least gotten me a pay cut. But I can't help it if I'm a bit clumsy!_

While she was thinking this, the manager had gotten onto the ladder and obtained the racquet himself. He got down and handed it to the kid. "Well, try it and see what you think."

The kid took the racquet in his hands, gripping it two-handed and turning it a few times. Despite the size of the racquet, he didn't seem to have any problems holding it. "Seems alright to me," he said, grabbing a canister of tennis balls from a nearby shelf. "I'll buy these, then."

The manager nodded. "Miss June, could you get the register ready, please?"

Miss June nodded. "Okay!" she said cheerfully, heading over to the counter.

She heard the kid talking to the manager in the background. Most people wouldn't of heard the conversation, but _she_ never had any problems with how she could hear. It _was_ problematic whenever she heard what other people were saying, though.

"Pardon me, sir, but why do you let her work here if she's as clumsy as you say she is?"

"She's a bit odd," the manager explained, sighing a little. "That, and wherever she goes, people treat her like dirt just because she's different; I learned that she'd been homeschooled all her life. I'm sure you've noticed her skin color and hair. To say that's unusual would be a bit of an understatement considering her parents are both your typical Japanese citizens, so you can understand why people would be against her." She slowly walked toward the counter, the kid following along behind him. "According to her, she's tried getting a job at a dozen different places. None of them were willing to hire her. Finally, I came along and decided to give her a chance."

"My parents can't afford to send me to college," Miss June said, moping a little when they reached the counter. "And I can't walk the streets without people talking about me. This is the best I can do. I try my best. Honestly..."

"There's one thing I do like about you, Miss June; it's the reason you're not out of a job and likely never will be as long as me and my team are around," the manager said firmly, facing her.

Miss June perked up a bit. "What do you mean?"

"It's because as clumsy as you are, you don't give up," her boss explained. "You never let the incidents of the previous work day bother you, and you always come in willing to give it your best. That's what I look for in an employee, so I don't let how a person looks or otherwise acts interfere."

-------

Inuyasha looked around as the chamber, which had been a strange shade of red ever since Phibrizzo's impromptu visit with the Moores, slowly became a dim blue before turning back to normal. "Wish I knew what that's all about," he mumbled as he watched the scene before him.

-------

Miss June heard a quiet cough, and she looked at the "Employees Only" door. The employees that had been counting the inventory had gathered around the door, and all them were smiling and/or offering quiet and encouraging looks. Seeing this, tears started to gather in her eyes. "Thanks," she said. "I really needed that."

Someone cleared his throat. Miss June turned her gaze down towards the kid she'd let in. "Um, as much as she probably needed the encouragement, I'd like to be able to pay for this," he said, holding up the racquet and tennis balls. "Does 'anytime' sound alright?"

It was the first time Miss June had ever seen a group of people sweatdrop simultaneously.

--------

Place: Auto repair shop

Time: Fifteen minutes later

"Jim, I'm back!"

'Jim', the kid who was examining a car within the confines of the repair shop earlier, looked up and smiled as Miss June jogged on in. "Great! It's lunchtime, anyway. I didn't think you'd like it if I started without you, so I decided to wait." He led her into a relatively small office/waiting room, opened up the fridge, and got out several bags and drinks. "I got you your favorite this time."

Miss June brightened, smiling. "Double cheeseburger?"

"_And_ miso soup. I won't need to reheat it or anything; it hasn't been in the fridge for very long." He got out a bottle of 'Coca-Cola' and stared at it disapprovingly. "I don't know what you see in this stuff, though."

"I've got to get my calories somehow," Miss June argued. "My parents already have me drinking tea and juice four times a day, and with my metabolism that just doesn't cut it!" She grabbed the Cola from his hands, opened it, and drank about half of it before closing it up again.

Jim shook his head as he got out his own food. "Aisha," he said wonderingly, "sometimes I just don't get you."

"It's just me," she told him. "I can't help what I am."

Jim waved her off as he began eating. "Yeah, I know. I know."

---------

Place: Local indoor racquetball court

Time: Twenty minutes later

_I must admit,_ Curtis said as he stood at one end of the court with his new racquet in his hands, _I didn't think they had one of these courts around here. Should've figured that if they liked table tennis, they'd like regular tennis too._

"It was nice of that man behind the counter to let you in," Inuyasha commented, snacking on some cookies that he'd found in Curtis's chamber while they were heading towards the court. "You trying to figure out how to do that subspace thing yourself, or do you just need practice playing this game of yours?"

_Both, actually,_ Curtis said seriously, glancing down briefly at his feet where the jar of tennis balls was. _I haven't played tennis with any regularity in years. At the same time, I need to figure out the subspace pocket trick so I can defend myself when I'm in control. Now, let's see..._

Curtis closed his eyes, checking the inside of his burrowed mind for any links to subspace that Phibrizzo may have made over the years. After a minute, he found a link that connected his mind to what was imagined to be a giant hole. _I think I've found something. Hey, Phibrizzo, was this hole where you kept those orbs when you weren't using them?_

Phibrizzo just nodded. "Mm-hmm." He likely still didn't want to talk to them; his head was still lowered, and he still looked sullen.

_That's all the confirmation I need; looks like its just big and empty now. Now, let's see if this works. Here goes!_

Activating the hidden trigger in his mind, Curtis raised the racquet behind his back and let it go experimentally.

No noise. The clatter of a racquet hitting the floor did not register to his ears. Temporarily letting the link go, Curtis reached behind his back and patted the back of his shirt. The racquet simply wasn't there. After waiting about four seconds he reached behind him again and reactivated the link, searching for the racquet. Finding it, he held it out in front of him. No mistake; the idea of using a subspace pocket was a go. _Well, guys, it works._

"Obviously," Phibrizzo said disgustedly. With his hair floating above his eyes, it was easy to tell that he'd decided to close them for some reason. "It's _my_ link to subspace that you're using. My influence is still there, but since I lost my main abilities it's no more than a giant storage room."

Curtis was about to open up the canister at his feet, but stopped. _Hold on. Your **main** abilities? You actually have **secondary** abilities?_

Phibrizzo snickered a little. "Yes. But you'll just have to wait until I decide to show them to you, understand? It's been who knows how many centuries since I've needed to use them, and I don't want to mess them up just because I'm a bit rusty."

"I suppose so..." Curtis opened up the canister, grabbed a tennis ball, tossed it up in the air, then whacked it with the racquet.

The ball bounced off the wall, made a one-hop over the net, and was whacked again. Curtis kept this up for several minutes, not staying in one place for very long. All the while, Phibrizzo was rattling off advice. "Idiot, you're putting too much strength behind it." "Don't overextend too much. Got it?" "You have to keep moving, slowpoke!"

Curtis gritted his teeth as the both of them kept it up. _Don't tell me you've actually played brass racquets before._

"Amazing how similar tennis is, isn't it? Zelas Metallium likes to play against the Knight of Ceiphied, and she's dragged me and Xellos along on a few of those excursions. I've been told my backhand's pretty mean."

_Then maybe YOU'D like to take a crack at this instead of complaining in my ear. It's hard to concentrate with you doing that._

"Well, now you know how I---"

In that instant, Curtis initiated a Switch and disoriented his host for a second. At the same time, the ball made another one-hop over the net...and smacked into Phibrizzo's forehead. Flinching, the half-mazoku covered it with one hand and finished his sentence as the ball bounced a few meters away. "---feel."

"_Real_ graceful," someone remarked sarcastically from the door.

-----------

Phibrizzo turned to see several people who had entered the room. The first one was easily taller than Miss June, had slightly tanned skin, was holding several racquets and a large jar of tennis balls, and had a reasonably friendly face (_I don't think he looks Japanese, either,_ Phibrizzo thought. The other one, the one who'd spoken, was about his foster mother's height, had orange hair (which reminded him somewhat of Lina) and an air of toughness around her. Definitely not one to be messed with.

Of course, Phibrizzo didn't care. He didn't have Conan's mind, but he knew a snobby person when he saw one. Thus, he said suspiciously: "Did you just see that? I just got disoriented for a second, that's all."

"Sure," the young woman said disbelievingly. "If you don't mind, I'd like to use this room. Practice, and all that."

Phibrizzo didn't move, instead folding his arms. His racquet was still clutched in one hand. "Who are you?"

"I'm Nami Keeler," the woman said with a smug smile, "and I'm an attorney. The rest I'm pretty sure you wouldn't understand."

"I don't know...he does look reasonably bright," the man next to Nami spoke up, his speech accented and somewhat deep. "I mean, how many kids know what the word 'disoriented' means?"

Nami turned to him. "How much could he possibly know? He's a kid."

Phibrizzo's eyes narrowed. "This 'kid' is smart enough to recognize a stuck-up jerk when he sees one. Are you going to be rude to me, or are you just wasting my time? Because if you are, I have my own practice to get over with."

"Phibrizzo, you're really pushing it here..." Curtis warned.

_Quiet, tubby. I have some steam to let off._

Nami marched over to Phibrizzo and stooped down so that the two were at eye level. "You're a real brat, aren't you?"

"You're not exactly Miss Perfection yourself." Phibrizzo grinned, the good-natured gesture at odds with his angry eyes. He held his racquet behind his back, then slipped it into subspace without the two noticing. "Anyone who has the nerve to call someone else a brat must have some serious issues to work with. By the way, would you mind getting out of my face?"

"I like it where I am, thank you. I think you should just leave and let us get on with our practice. Find somewhere else to play."

"Well, _I_ think you should get some breath mints, a pint of toothpaste and a gallon of mouthwash," Phibrizzo shot back, waving one hand in front of his face. "Your breath absolutely _reeks_ of garlic and pepper! Yecch!"

"She threw a fit yesterday when her last client had trouble paying the bill," the man explained. "She usually works out her anger by eating a lot of spicy food. I've tried to get her to stop, but she's not the easiest person to work with. It's hard enough trying to keep her calm."

Phibrizzo's eyes lost some of their intensity. "Um, who are you?"

"Oh. I'm the second half of Keeler and Krunk, attorneys-at-law. Jonathan Krunk's the name. Nice to meet you." He put down the jar of tennis balls, grabbed Phibrizzo's left hand and shook it vigorously, then let go. "Your hand's real limp. You should put more effort behind those handshakes."

'Blink', and 'blink' again. "Oh. Uh...right." _What's with this man?_

"Tall, dark, and dumb," Inuyasha grumbled. "That's a nice package."

"And if the name 'Krunk' is any indication," Curtis added, sniffing, "those two are a troublesome combination."

Nami stood up and turned to Krunk. "We're in Japan, not America. Try to remember to bow when introducing yourself."

The man looked from side to side as if to see if anyone else was watching, but didn't respond to his partner's comment. Phibrizzo sighed exasparatedly, then turned to Krunk's other half. "You want to practice, and so do I. Neither of us want to leave this room. Unless we can arrange something, we're stuck here. You, me, Krunk, and your horrendously bad breath."

Nami stared down at him, strangely calm. "Who are you, kid?" she asked, not reacting to his insult.

"Don't say a word about my name," Phibrizzo uttered. "It's Phibrizzo Kaden."

"Marvelous." Nami smirked haughtily. "In one of my previous cases, I had met up with a lawyer named Eva Kaden. Name ring a bell?"

Phibrizzo remained silent outwardly. _So my new aunt's one of them, too? Figures._

"'Figures'?" Inuyasha asked. "What are you talking about?"

_Back home, the most dangerous humans weren't those like Lina Inverse, believe it or not. The scariest and most dangerous ones...were the attorneys, especially those involved with the major kingdoms. Whenever a major trial took place, they were there. I met one once. Kind of reminded me of a shark. Would you believe that some of my sister's servants actually took part-time jobs as lawyers?_

"You're scaring me, Phibrizzo," Curtis muttered, sweatdropping.

_Good. That was the intention. I don't know if they're actually like that here, but---_

Something tapped Phibrizzo's nose, and he nearly crossed his eyes staring down at it. Nami had taken one of the racquets and had tapped his nose with it. "I asked you a question, brat."

Phibrizzo blinked. "Huh? What?"

"I asked you if you wanted to settle this in the simplest way possible," Nami said testily. "Paper, rock, scissors."

"Huh?" Phibrizzo asked, exasparated and confused.

"It's either that or challenge you to a tennis match, kid." Nami placed her hands on her hips. "A rookie doesn't have much of a chance against a professional, after all."

"Jerk," Inuyasha and Curtis muttered simultaneously.

Phibrizzo shrugged. "Whatever. Winner stays, loser leaves. We're only doing this once, though. My own patience is wearing somewhat thin, if you can comprehend that."

Nami just smirked. "Heh." She lowered the racquet and held out her other hand. Phibrizzo did the same.

"One...two...**THREE!"**

Phibrizzo blinked. So did Nami.

"What if it's a tie?" Krunk asked. "Do both of you have to leave?"

Phibrizzo had chosen paper. So did Nami. "I...had not thought of this," they both said.

"Um...maybe we could both stay," Phibrizzo suggested. "It's not exactly my first time playing this. I got distracted before the ball hit my forehead." He smirked. "I tend to have a pretty nasty backhand."

"Well then, here's what I propose. You can play against Krunk for a while, and I'll go off and practice on my own. When I'm done, though, you have to leave. Is that okay, kid?"

"Sure." Phibrizzo shrugged nonchalantly. "But don't use your breath as a weapon. I think that makes it a little unfair for the wall."

Nami frowned. "I really wish you'd quit insulting me, brat."

"And _I_ really wish you'd call me by my name," Phibrizzo retorted. "If I'm going to be meeting up with you again someday, I also want you to try some minty toothpaste."

"Well, what kind of name is Phibrizzo Kaden?"

"And what kind of name is Nami Keeler?"

Nami was starting to look annoyed by now. "None of your business."

"Then it's none of yours, either."

"Do your parents actually trust you to go around on your own?"

Phibrizzo's eyes narrowed. "I'm a lot tougher than I look."

Nami shrugged. "Right. I'll take your word for it...Phibrizzo."

"Good...Miss Nami." Phibrizzo's eyes assumed their normal width, and he reached behind his back and retrieved his racquet. "Well, then?"

"Kids are really amazing nowadays, aren't they?" Krunk said to himself, smiling and shrugging.

------------

Time: Three hours later

Place: Beika Park

**(BGM --- Post-game cutscene music, from _Megaman IV_)**

Phibrizzo looked around from his spot on the grass, his racquet and tennis balls long since banished to subspace. For an hour, he and Krunk had played against each other; while the two weren't experts, they weren't half bad, either. Following that, he'd convinced Nami to play against him for an additional hour; he knew that the older girl was in a different league, but he didn't much care (Nami admitted afterwards that she'd gotten a decent workout out of it). For another thirty minutes he watched his new acquaintances face off, then decided to take his leave.

Ever since he'd met Miss June, the words of the store manager had rung through his head. He'd kept this secret from the others, but he'd felt his self-confidence returning. Perhaps for the time being, it would be best if the sillier things that happened to him were put behind him so that he could get on with his life. No way would he let those events bother him that much again. At least, he hoped he wouldn't.

"Phibrizzo?"

Phibrizzo focused inwards. _What is it?_

Curtis looked up. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry. About earlier."

His eyes widened ever so slightly. _That's new. What for?_

"When Azusa kissed you. I shouldn't have laughed, especially since I've had similar grade school-esque experiences myself. I wasn't too happy about it back then, either." He looked up at the general direction of Inuyasha's chamber, then began fiddling around with something at the back of his television. "Can't say the same for him, of course."

"I feel a bit bad for laughing, yeah," Inuyasha admitted. "It was probably the irony of it all that set me off."

Phibrizzo thought for a moment. _There _is_ some irony there, at that._ He stared upwards at the sky, which was clouding over just a little. He wondered for a bit what everyone was doing right now: Nami and Krunk; Richard and Rachel Moore; Conan and Dr. Agasa; George, Mitch, and Amy; his acquaintances from Nerima; the mysterious woman who called herself "Sherry"; Miss June; even that police officer who first woke him up.

_No use being afraid of the unknown,_ he told himself. _I can't keep looking behind me. The problems in my future are the ones to worry about now. Somehow, I think I can manage. I think it's just me, but I think that those people are going to have a positive impact on my life...And to think that I once shuddered at the thought of it. Heh._

He wasn't aware that the others were listening until about a minute later. "It's not just you," Inuyasha commented.

"We should probably get on home," Curtis suggested. "Your parents would probably appreciate it if you were home early."

Phibrizzo looked around. Everyone had their attention elsewhere, and for the moment at least there weren't any cars going by. After checking if he had enough energy for a teleport, he nodded and vanished.

----

Time: One hour later

Place: Kaden residence

Knock, knock.

"Phibrizzo? I'm busy cooking. Could you get the door?"

Phibrizzo nodded and got up from the couch to do as asked. He reached for the door, hesitated for a brief moment, then opened it...and stood somewhere on a line between awestruck and amazed. _She's...sharp._

The woman was easily taller than Sylvia; her purple business suit and glasses indicated, simply, that she was all business when it came to her occupation. "She must've come here straight from work or something," Curtis thought aloud, pausing what he was doing; he'd had another one of his disappearances a few minutes ago, and was busy making sure that everything was still where he remembered it.

"Oh, so you must be the child that my brother adopted," the woman said, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Nice to meet you; I'm Eva. How about you?"

_She even **sounds** sharp!_ "Um...it's Phibrizzo." When Eva arched an eyebrow, he added with a slight blush: "Don't ask."

"Yep," Curtis sniffed, smirking. "She's definitely a lawyer."

_I can definitely understand why she chose that particular job; she seems like the relentless type._ Phibrizzo checked to see what Inuyasha was doing, then snapped mentally: _Don't try that twice, Inuyasha. If I'm going to hug anyone...as if I'd want to...then it's going to be on my own terms._

Inuyasha stepped away from the wall, grumbling to himself.

"Miss Eva, you wouldn't happen to have a daughter named 'Rachel', would you?"

Eva stepped in and let Phibrizzo shut the door behind her. "Yes, I do. You've met her before?" she asked, switching to a set of slippers set near the door for her use.

Phibrizzo nodded. "I was trying to run from an older girl earlier, and I slipped into the Moore agency so I could hide. That's where I met her." He paused for a moment, then looked away. "Is it okay if I call you Aunt Eva?"

"That or just 'Eva' is fine, dear. If you'll excuse me, I'd like to talk with Sylvia for a bit."

"Sure. She's in the kitchen," Phibrizzo said, smiling as he gestured towards the kitchen.

As Eva smiled and went off that way, Phibrizzo sat down and turned his thoughts back inwards. _Seems nice enough...I hope. Now, what did you say that was supposed to be?_

"It's called a 'video game'," Curtis explained, indicating his television screen as he sat in his chair. He looked off to the side briefly as Inuyasha came in. "It needs the television to work. Basically, it keeps the person playing it entertained. The newer games look nearly realistic, but I prefer the older games where the pictures and plots are simple." He pointed out the screen, which had the words 'Super Mario Bros.' in a brown box sitting above a small red figure. He then held up a small box-like device and added: "See, watch what happens when I push the buttons on this controller..."

----------

_Chapter Four completed. Chapter Five soon to commence_

AUTHOR'S NOTES

Okay, so I've managed to throw in alternate-universe characters from _Outlaw Star_, _One Piece,_ and the movie _The Emperor's New Groove_. I've got a few more characters to throw in---minor for the most part, but still important down the line---but first, I'm going to hold off on that for a bit.

This version of Nami may seem a bit out of character for those familiar with _One Piece_, but you can probably imagine that she's let the success from her job and her previous pro tennis career go to her head. She'll change down the line, I promise.

Aisha's not really that clumsy in the anime. You could probably chalk her current clumsiness up to the fact that she's trying too hard to keep her job and be accepted in others' eyes. That, too, will eventually change. As to what she's doing here? That'll be explained eventually, but I'll let you know now that it's not exactly an "out-of-this-world" description.

Why'd I throw in Krunk? I just like him, I guess. I originally thought about having him operate that art studio that Sherry mentioned, but I decided to go with this instead.

Why's Phibrizzo acting out of character? Becoming half-human and making the mistake of letting Inuyasha play "Push-this-button-no-you-push-the-other-button" can do that to a guy.

The major characters are in place. It's time to continue. Heh, heh.


	11. Chapter Five

WHAT INSERTION?

by Curtis Wildcat

_Chapter Five _--- Shredded Seriousness

--------

**(Cue theme)**

--------

Time: Three days after events in Chapter Four

Place: Heading away from art studio

Phibrizzo's new life, he felt, was starting to settle into a pattern.

He'd had school yesterday and today. Both mornings he greeted his foster parents, ate breakfast, and got to school at a brisk pace. He paid attention as best as he could throughout the day, periodically receiving help from Curtis or Inuyasha on difficult material. Of course, he had difficulty whenever he needed to talk to Curtis; ever since the "video game" lesson several evenings before, the fat human was either playing one of his games or adding to his collection. Inuyasha would either watch things going on from his chamber, watch whatever Curtis was doing, or just snooze.

During the afternoons after school, Phibrizzo had walked with Conan, Mitch, George, and Amy; after the incident involving the famous Yoko Okino just a few nights prior, the latter three had agreed that Conan was worth hanging around. Both days after everyone was either home or off doing something else, Phibrizzo had split to follow his own agenda.

During the evenings after dinner, Phibrizzo had cooped himself up in his room. After taking the obligatory bath (which he still thought was unneeded), he'd waited for his parents to go to sleep. Ten to twenty minutes after they did, he'd let Inuyasha take over so that they could patrol a random section of the city for most of the night.

Phibrizzo was thankful for several things: that his parents weren't light sleepers, and that he hadn't run into Azusa again.

This afternoon, he was heading back from the art studio that he'd dropped his shirt off at a few days before. He'd immediately slipped it on when he received the finished product, ignoring the fact that he had another shirt on already. Neither Inuyasha nor Curtis had any time to see what was said on the shirt; Phibrizzo had wanted to keep it a surprise as long as possible.

Another surprise greeted him when he was three blocks away from the art studio: the mysterious woman, Sherry. She was standing at the street corner, waiting for the light to change. More to the point, she was facing away from him. _Perfect._

--------

There were numerous things that Sherry didn't like. Included in that list was disorganization, failure, and being caught unawares. In line with that last dislike was someone sneaking up on her.

Hence, she was more than displeased when someone snuck up behind her and grabbed her hand. Shivering just a bit, she yanked it loose and turned to see who had tried to startle her. She wasn't surprised. "Oh. It's you."

Phibrizzo tilted his head just a bit, obviously trying to look puzzled as he shoved his hand into his pocket. "Huh? What do you mean, 'it's you'?"

"No matter how mature you seem, only a kid would try to amuse himself by placing his cold hand on mine," Sherry told him, looking just slightly annoyed. "I see you've picked up your shirt. May I ask exactly what you mean by this?" she asked, indicating the design he'd chosen.

Phibrizzo smiled cutely. "That, Miss, is a secret!"

"Uh-huh," Sherry muttered, checking to see if the light had changed. Seeing that it had, she hurried across the street. To her annoyance, Phibrizzo kept close behind her. "Why are you still following me, _kid_...or is that a secret, too?"

"Because, _lady_, there's something I want to ask you," the boy answered, his own annoyance showing. His smile was gone. "Why do you always have to act so cold, even when your hands aren't?"

"You wouldn't understand," Sherry said curtly. "Now could you please let me be?"

"Let you be what...icy to the point of disassociation?" Phibrizzo murmured. Sherry winced ever so slightly as she caught the comment. "You really ought to open up more. This type of behavior's detrimental to a person's health. Honestly...I should know this."

"Phibrizzo, just...quit bothering me." Sherry didn't say anything more as she kept on going. She knew Phibrizzo was still following her, but speaking again would only encourage him.

As she thought about it, she figured that she'd always been a bit introverted ever since she began her work for the organization. Although she would occasionally speak with someone when she had to, a lot of her work was done alone. She wasn't exactly the out-going type nowadays, for fear that any friends that she'd make would be dragged into trouble. The only exception to this was what little family she knew, and even then communication was usually limited to her sister. She didn't want to talk with Phibrizzo anymore; she decided that she probably wouldn't want to associate with him either.

The boy, it seemed, had other plans. "Miss, please. At least tell me why you don't want to talk to me. I've told you already that I can keep secrets."

_Should I really believe him?_ "It shouldn't be anywhere around here. Who knows where they are?"

"Well, I know this great place outside of Beika. Is that alright?" Phibrizzo asked innocently.

Sherry sighed, giving in. "Where, and when? I'll be busy the rest of the day."

There was a brief pause. "Tomorrow afternoon, at around four," the boy said, intentionally pretending to sound mysterious. "Be there, or be square." He pressed a piece of paper into Sherry's hand.

The woman raised the piece of paper to her face, ignoring the brief hissing noise behind her. _Hmm...it's an address for a restaurant in the Nerima district. Seems innocent enough._ She looked behind her, only to discover that Phibrizzo had somehow disappeared. Her eyes narrowed just a little. _That makes twice he's vanished on me. That's rather irritating._

--------

From on top of the roof of the building across the street, Phibrizzo watched as the woman pocketed the address and continued on her way; he'd teleported there after checking to see if anyone else was watching. "I hope she accepts that invitation," he muttered.

"Phibrizzo, why are you doing this?" Curtis asked. "This doesn't seem like your style. It's more like something I'd do."

"That lady's too serious for her own good," Phibrizzo quietly explained. "Besides, you told me last night that if you didn't have a sense of humor, you'd probably go crazy. By that logic, either she's insane or her mind's gone numb."

Curtis shook his head. "I doubt she's had to deal with bullies and jerks in school her whole life like I have. On the other hand, maybe she's just distant from people in general."

"Whichever the case," Phibrizzo said, frowning, "she has a sense of humor somewhere in there, and I'm going to find it. It shouldn't be too hard, shouldn't it? Maybe an actual conversation with someone will do her good."

"Oooh boy," Inuyasha muttered. "Whenever I hear that, something happens. I wouldn't want to be around, but I don't have a choice."

"Ditto," Curtis agreed, groaning as he coughed a few times. He pulled his arms inside his buttoned flannel shirt and clasped his shoulders, shivering just a little. "That invitation he gave Sherry is for a meeting at Ucchan's Okonomiyaki...smack-dab in the heart of Nerima."

Phibrizzo nodded in satisfaction, then reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a cell phone. Yesterday morning, at roughly the same time that he had relocated his subspace portal there, his parents had given him this device. He hadn't needed to use it then; he figured it would be alright to use it now. "You took down the number for the Tendo family, didn't you?" he asked.

Curtis nodded. "Yeah, I have it. You need it?"

Phibrizzo nodded again. "I need to see if I can contact Nabiki Tendo. She seemed like the person to talk to in order to arrange something there." He glared at the cell phone, his eyes narrowing.

"Something wrong over there?" Inuyasha asked.

"Yeah, I'll say." Phibrizzo hesitated for a few seconds, then added: "Do either of you know how this stupid thing works?"

Inuyasha fell over sideways, and Curtis---who knew that the half-mazoku still had no clue as to the "hows" of technology---settled for a sweatdrop and a forehead slap.

----------

Place: The Tendo Residence

"Hello?...Elementary school-kid with black hair and yellow-green eyes? Yeah, I remember you. Why'd you call?...You're meeting someone from outside Nerima over at Ukyo's restaurant? I don't know if that's a good idea. I mean, you've heard and experienced the district for yourself...Oh, I see. In that case, I could probably manage. Nothing really _new_ has gone on here for a week or so...just the same old, same old...Are you sure she'll show up?" A slight smirk. "Then I'll see you tomorrow. Keep in mind that I only accept cash or check. No credit cards or C.O.Ds." The smirk widened a little. "Even _I_ can be funny sometimes, Phibrizzo. I'll let you off the hook this time, but don't expect me to give out anymore freebies...Okay, okay. Bye-bye."

Nabiki hung up the phone, still smiling a little. The next 24 hours were going to be worth it. The only thing that needed to be done was to place a few phone calls...

--------

Time: The following morning

Place: En route to unknown destination

Sherry yawned just a little as she switched on the car radio. She could get up early if she had to, but the hours she'd been spending working for the organization were starting to get ridiculous. She wanted to quit and pursue another career, but she knew that would be impossible. Once you checked in, you couldn't check out.

The radio newscaster went on, ignoring her thoughts. "Last night, a kidnapping case turned from anxiety to joy as the teenage son of the Benson family was returned safe and sound. Police arrived at the scene to find the mysterious white-haired boy that's been helping to keep the streets safe recently. Apparently, he was the one responsible for rescuing Willy Benson, and using his quote-unquote "really big sword" to keep the kidnapper from escaping. While the boy did not stop for police interrogation, he did stay long enough to give his name. Although the authorities do not condone the actions of vigilantes, it looks as if he's here to stay regardless; so Inuyasha, if you're listening right now, the Benson family thanks you. In other news---"

Sherry switched off the radio. While the idea of a strong vigilante didn't seem all that bad on first glance, the fact that it was a boy made her worry a little. Specifically, she worried that she hadn't had enough coffee before she left. _I must've just been hearing things,_ she thought.

------------

Time: That afternoon, immediately following the final bell

Place: Teitan Elementary

Phibrizzo stood up, stretching his arms a little before putting the last of his school supplies away. As other kids did the same and the teacher said that day's good-byes, Conan made a beeline towards him. "Hey, Phibrizzo? Are you doing anything later?"

His classmate looked thoughtful. "Maybe. Why?"

"Well, Rachel and one her friends are going someplace this afternoon, and I don't really want to go. Problem is, Richard's not exactly what you'd call the friendly type when his daughter's not around..."

Phibrizzo finished packing and slung his blue backpack over one shoulder. "Basically you don't want to spend your free time hanging around him. Understandable." He waited until Mitch and the others left the room, then gestured for Conan to follow him out as well. As he walked out of the room, he continued: "I'm supposed to be meeting someone at Nerima at around four. I don't know if she's on the way yet, but I'm heading there early just to be on the safe side."

Conan did a quick double-take. "_Nerima?_ Again? I thought once was enough!"

Phibrizzo shook his head. "Nope. You still want to come?"

"I don't know..." Conan murmured, very much hesitant. "I've heard strange stuff about that place..."

"And most of it is true," Phibrizzo said. "Don't worry. I know my way around. And last night, I told my parents what I was doing; they didn't like it much either, but after I promised that I'd head straight to the doctor's if anything happened to me, they agreed to let me go."

"Your foster parents sound strange too." Conan walked silently for a minute, wondering whether or not he should go. In the end, his curiousity won out over his conscience. "Alright. How're you going to get there?"

"Well, first I've got to swing by my house and get something, and drop off my books," Phibrizzo told him. "After that, I'm good to go."

_Well, Phibrizzo, I hope you'll be good to go AFTER you meet that person, because I don't want to stay any longer than I have to._ "What do you need to get?"

His classmate grinned. "My after-school T-shirt. And you remember back after I first met you, I told you that I've been keeping secrets of my own?"

"Yeah. What about it?"

"My method of transportation is one of them." Phibrizzo let out a deep breath and dropped his voice to a whisper. "Well, it's not really a method of transportation as it is _teleportation._"

Conan blinked, and his eyes narrowed. _Teleportation? What is he talking about? That's impossible!_

"You don't believe me, do you?" Phibrizzo asked as the two of them exited the building and headed toward the nearest cover.

"I think you're just being silly. What you're saying is impossible!" Conan was starting to get nervous, and even a bit frantic. _Something about this kid's just not adding up!_

"Conan, I'm hardly ever _silly_. A lot of times I'm serious about stuff, but recently silliness has been trying to find me anyway."

Neither of them said anything more until they reached cover from the kids who were still departing the school. Phibrizzo decided to speak at that time. "Okay. I'm gonna get to my house first. Grab onto my arm."

Conan did so hesitantly, and he felt himself go dizzy for the briefest of instants...

--

Place: Kaden residence, Phibrizzo's room

When Conan came to, he found himself in a small room. Letting go of Phibrizzo's arm, he let his gaze wander around in amazement at his surroundings. _How did I...was that...teleportation? That has to violate every known law of physics out there! What's going on? Who is this kid, really? It's not making any sense!_

Phibrizzo got out a different T-shirt from his closet and hastily switched shirts. Tossing his school shirt and backpack onto his bed, he turned to look at Conan and spoke in a low voice. "Maybe this secret was better off kept..."

Conan sighed, setting it at the back of his head for now. "I don't know how you do it, and I'm not sure I want to know. Let's just go." He eyed Phibrizzo's T-shirt. "What's that supposed to be?"

"I like to think of it as my personal logo," Phibrizzo explained quietly. "And I like to think it suits me well whenever I get ticked off. I had someone at an art studio help me with it recently, and someone else I met agreed to cover the costs."

"Whenever you get---never mind," Conan said irritably. "Let's just go. Where exactly in Nerima are you going?"

Phibrizzo smiled. "You'll see. I have enough money to cover for both of us. Grab on, and let's go."

_Great. Here we go again. Maybe I ought to have Rachel take me to a psychologist or something._ Conan grabbed Phibrizzo's arm, and a second later the room was empty.

-------------

Place: The Tendo residence

Time: 3:35pm

The telephone rang once more. Since Kasumi was the closest one to the phone, she stopped what she was doing and answered it. "Hello? Tendo residence...yes, Nabiki's here. Do you want to speak with her?...Oh. I see. Well, I'll tell her you called then...Oh, my. Yes, that _should_ spark a reaction in anyone...Okay, then. You have a nice day! Bye-bye."

She hung up and edged towards the stairs, calling out: "Nabiki? Phibrizzo Kaden just called. He wanted to say that he and a friend are on their way to Miss Kuonji's restaurant, and that they're going to wait for that other person to come by. She should be entering the district about now, he said."

"Alright," Nabiki's voice answered her. "I'm on my way."

------------

Place: Outside Ucchan's Okonomiyaki

Time: Half an hour later

Sherry had heard that Nerima was a madhouse, a place where you'd have to be insane to enter, let alone live in. Being a scientist---someone who accepted certain things as fact and never questioned them---a lot of the rumors she heard were subsequently dismissed.

As she leaned against the building's outside wall in order to catch her breath, she was beginning to question why the scientific method simply could not be applied to the situations she had found herself in; each time to she tried to apply it, the entry read: "Syntax error. See appendix A: Murphy's Law, Nerima, and You." The more she thought about it, the more she tried not to think about what she'd seen.

First had been the man with the palm tree on his head. The man had charged towards her, brandishing a pair of huge clippers and shouting something about "free haircuts for everyone". At that moment he'd been blindsided by a robed man with thick glasses, who afterwards apologized to her before leaving.

She had to give the man credit; she would never have thought of apologizing to a door before he came along.

Sherry had kept on going, her eyes constantly moving and seeing what lay before her. The sky was cloudy, but not quite to the point of rain. Down the street, two girls were yelling at each other; she wasn't quite close enough to hear what they were yelling about. She could see a bokken-carrying teenager slowly walking toward them purposefully, a bit closer to her current position.

Something about the situation smelled like trouble, and she hadn't liked it. She had to go through here in order to get to the restaurant, unfortunately; she took her time walking, trying to make as little noise as possible.

Her intuition proved her right; a few seconds later, the armed teenager came to a halt several meters away from the shouting couple and got their attention. "Pig-tailed girl!" he'd exclaimed.

As the girls stopped yelling and turned to him, the stranger began regaling them with a mixture of traditional haiku, Shakespearean poetry, and what was probably supposed to be a segment of an English sonnet. Throughout the whole thing, the girls just stood there and watched with bored expressions.

Sherry waited for the boy to stop, and eventually he did. The redhaired girl asked him indignantly: "Where do ya get off spouting something like _that_?", starting up the whole routine again. The scientist clenched her fists, waiting for the ranting to end and trying to ignore the inane expressions the boy was using. Finally, the other girl obliged her by pulling out a mallet and whacking the kendoist into the sky.

She remembered thinking: _wait one second. Something's not right about that. For all intents and purposes, she looked like a girl of average constitution. Where'd she get the strength to accomplish that? Where'd she get the mallet to begin with? And should it even be possible for a man to be sent flying like that?_ The English line "You will believe a man can fly" came to mind as well, although she doubted that the boy had a uniform with a large red S on the front.

Another block or so away, Sherry had caught sight of a giant panda standing in front of a vending machine. The panda didn't notice her at first, instead holding up a sign that read: "Let's see. What would I want..." After a few seconds the panda put the sign away and ambled off down the street, grunting disappointedly.

Blinking at the odd sight, Sherry had decided to get something to drink to get her mind off what she was seeing. She reached into her purse and pulled out several yen coins, then deposited the coins and made her selection. "Ow! My eye!" the vending machine had shouted, shortly before the yen coins fell back out. Abruptly, the machine grew a set of arms and legs and charged after her. Thankfully, vending machines don't go very fast; Sherry had been able to lose her pursuer before long.

The sheer lunacy of the situation had hit her shortly afterward. Vending machines didn't talk, and they sure didn't develop violent tendencies! Sherry wondered if there was a television camera trailing her somewhere, filming this for an entertainment program of some kind.

After she resumed her journey, she had crossed paths with another teenage boy. The boy told her that he'd gotten lost looking for Ucchan's Okonomiyaki, so Sherry had pointed in the direction that she was walking in. The boy thanked her, then ran off---in the direction that he'd just came from. A second later, a purple-haired girl appeared and asked: "Pig-boy come this way?" Figuring she meant the boy that the scientist had just met, she nodded and pointed in the direction where the boy had disappeared. The girl ran off, muttering something in a language that Sherry didn't recognize.

She didn't know what the "pig-boy" reference was about, and she didn't much care. She just hoped she wasn't losing her mind.

The next several minutes had passed by in a rush. The "pig-boy" had reappeared and was engaged in a fight against the redhaired girl from earlier; several times, Sherry had to dodge out of the way as the fight got too close. Along the way, numerous other people joined in: a laughing girl with a gymnastics ribbon, a small gnome (which she realized afterward was really a very old man), a large winged bull (who apparently had a grudge against said old man) with octopus tentacles, the glasses-wearing man she saw early on, the purple-haired girl, and the other girl who'd accompanied the redhead. The showdown took place in such a manner that one would think of it as a very elaborate anime production. Along the way was a tangle of comments, some that she didn't catch but others that made her right eye twitch at how ludicrous they were.

Having had enough after dealing with several close calls, Sherry had taken off at a dead run. She just wanted to get to the restaurant, meet with Phibrizzo, and get out as soon as she could. She'd reached the restaurant several minutes after 4:00.

Having completed her mental examination, Sherry stood up and stopped panting. Her mind kept going, hoping for extra credit. _What was he thinking by inviting me here? Forget maturity. The kid's insane, and I'm not doing much better! _She shook her head, preparing herself for whatever Phibrizzo wanted to talk to her about. _Here goes._ Gathering her wits, she entered the restaurant.

A teenage girl---a rather nice one, at that---greeted her after looking at her face carefully. "Welcome, Miss. Someone told me you're here to meet with someone, right?" After she received a nod in reply, the girl glanced briefly at a nearby table where two kids---one of which was Phibrizzo---were calmly discussing something. "There you are. And would you like anything?"

Sherry nodded and asked for a tuna okonomiyaki before heading towards the table.

----------------

"Well," Phibrizzo said, "the person I've been waiting to meet is here." He smiled as the woman sat down. "What took you so long?"

He received an icy glare from the older woman. "Phibrizzo, what were you thinking inviting me here? This place is an absolute madhouse! I hope you had a very good reason for this."

Phibrizzo folded his arms and glared back, equalling her ice with his fire. "Lady, by that comment you've just proved that you've lost your sense of humor. What in the world's happened to you? Has your work drained your will to live or something?"

"You don't know the first thing about what my work entails," she countered. "And even if you did, it's none of your business anyway."

"Right," Phibrizzo said sarcastically, a strange accent coloring his voice. "'A man shouldn't get into anything that ain't his own affair.'" His eyes closed part-way as he dropped the accent. "But that's besides the point. I brought you here to prove that things aren't always what they seem."

Conan decided to speak at this point. "Phibrizzo, what are you talking about? All you've told me is that you asked some acquaintances to 'just be themselves' or something like that."

"Actually, I asked someone else to do that for me. I get what you mean, though." Phibrizzo turned a bit, paying closer attention to Conan than to the woman. "You remember that girl that greeted us when we came here?"

"Yeah. What about her?"

"There are two things that aren't what they seem there. The first thing is that I heard that she's a ninja."

"Okay," the woman said calmly, her icy glare in submission for the time being. "And what else?"

"It's not a _she_," Phibrizzo uttered in deadpan. "And the person who runs this restaurant isn't any better."

Conan's eyes widened. "Are you saying that---"

"Yes, I am," Phibrizzo deadpanned again. "Trust me. You don't want to know."

A slightly-bemused Conan noticed that the woman stumbled a little over her next words, but the end result almost caused him to fall over. "Anything else, Phibrizzo? I don't suppose you could explain the panda and the vending machine?"

"The 'panda' is the father of a well-known martial artist---at least, well-known around here. The vending machine was just an elaborate disguise for another person, the third in the pattern started earlier." Phibrizzo muttered as an aside: "Honestly, I think the entire human race is warped..."

_Considering my line of work, I sort of agree with you._ "But how can a _panda_ be someone's father?" Conan inquired.

"You'd have to ask his son or daughter about that," Phibrizzo said, looking up briefly as the 'girl' who greeted them earlier brought several glasses of water and some tea to the table. "I still don't understand it entirely myself. Excuse me, Konatsu? Could you have Miss Ukyo make an extra okonomiyaki? I think I may need it."

Konatsu smiled and nodded. "Of course, Phibrizzo," 'she' said before walking away.

The woman sipped some of her tea. "You seem to know a bit about this, so I'll just rattle off some of the sights. The man with the palm tree on his head and the shears?"

-------------

The three-way conversation between Phibrizzo, Sherry, and the little boy (whom Phibrizzo had introduced as Conan Edogawa, a friend from his school) continued for some time. While they did so, both Sherry and Phibrizzo's meals were delivered; after she had consumed some of it, she had admitted---to herself---that the okonomiyaki made here was some of the best she'd ever had.

As she ate, she listened as Phibrizzo spoke of the annoyances and strange activities of those in the Nerima district. There was the Kuno family, who were all certified nutcases but still had a large amount of influence financially; the "vending machine" was just an elaborate disguise for someone who liked the restaurant's chef; the bull-like creature was actually quite sentient and was looking to get his name changed; the "pig-boy" was a tough-as-steel martial artist who couldn't find his way out of a maze with a map.

At some point in her life, Sherry had heard of a myth pertaining to a group of warriors known as Amazons. Who'd have thought that they still existed...or that two of them---the purple-haired girl and the guy with the glasses---hailed from China...or that their names were heard as hygiene-care products?

Phibrizzo had started to explain the old man but cut himself off for some unknown reason, his face a vibrant shade of violet as it gave way to disbelief and anger. After he'd had a few minutes to calm down, he'd turned to Sherry and Conan---who both were wondering what was wrong with him---and groaned: "Don't ask. Won't tell. Too scary."

There was the Tendo family, which was also filled with oddballs of various types; the Saotome family, of which one member was the cause of most of Nerima's chaos; the wide variety of martial arts schools. Sherry's head figuratively spun as she absorbed the information given. Looking across the table, she saw that Conan was trying to do the same. _Must be a smart kid to have followed the conversation as far as it went._

Sherry eventually finished her meal; since Phibrizzo did most of the talking, it took a bit longer for him to finish his. She waited until the boy finished his okonomiyaki before saying: "Anything else, Phibrizzo?"

Phibrizzo nodded. "I'm just curious about what your opinion is regarding Nerima's overall climate."

Sherry shrugged, remembering a story that a fellow scientist once mentioned to her. "I'll admit it's nowhere near the norm, but I've heard of some crazy things happening before. I haven't recognized any of the names or people you've listed, so I don't think they're the ones involved with Project: Clandestine DNA. They're much too young for that."

Both boys looked puzzled. "Eh? Project: Clandestine DNA?" they asked in unison.

_They couldn't tell this to anyone. People don't typically listen to a child's ranting without sufficient reason to do so. Besides, most everyone in the organization doesn't believe this anyway. _"There was this story I heard once not long after I got into my present occupation. About twenty to thirty years ago, there was a young boy of American descent in Osaka; his intelligence seemed to know no bounds. He absorbed information like a sponge, and by the time he was 8 he could outthink even the smartest high school kids. It had been rumored that he'd graduated with a master's degree at 15 years of age."

Sherry saw Conan's eyes dilate as the boy gasped: "_15 years old, and he has a master's degree?_ He must've been some kind of super genius!"

Phibrizzo looked at Conan quizzically. "I hate to sound dumb, but what's a master's degree?"

"After graduating from high school, people who seek one typically have to attend college six to ten years to get it. Along the way, they become very smart in a certain area of work," Conan explained, sounding a bit excited as he spoke. "By that time, they're usually somewhere between 25-30 years old!"

"Yikes," Phibrizzo murmured. He glanced at Sherry, a bit unsure. "Go on."

"Not long before this boy earned his master's degree, his parents learned that he had a mental disorder. The proof of this was in the boy's behavior. His ego reached overwhelming proportions; he'd act furious one second and shy the next for seemingly no reason; he had a habit of becoming overwhelmingly depressed, even during the occasions where people treated him with respect. The night before he earned her degree, he woke up and began laughing hysterically without warning." Sherry stared at her listeners, her icy demeanor in full control. "Several days afterward, he began muttering to himself about changing people so that they could do fantastic things like he could. The mutterings became rantings. His parents realized what they were dealing with, but by then it was too late. Soon enough, the boy disappeared."

"Disappeared?" Conan asked. "Where?"

"To start Project: Clandestine DNA. I'd heard that this boy had been seeking a way to alter the very genetic code of a person. Perhaps in the corner of his mind, he believed that the reason some people disrespected him was because his own abilities were greater than others. He might've thought that if people were as smart as he was, or posessed some kind of ability, they'd know how he felt and they'd be able to reach some sort of understanding. In reality, it was his own egotism and haughtiness that caused others to shun him. He didn't believe that, though.

"He set to work immediately, and when he thought he had finished the process he secretly asked several people to help test his theory. During the experiment, however, something went wrong. No one knows what the boy was thinking during this time, but that's just moot; the entire lab went up in a massive ball of flame and chemicals. No one knows whether or not the boy genius survived, let alone where he is now."

Sherry sipped the last of her tea. "Of course, that's just what I heard. It's up to you if you want to believe me or not."

Phibrizzo and Conan sat back, looking thoughtful. After a few minutes Phibrizzo got up to see the chef, pay the bill, and issue a tip to Konatsu. After he returned, Sherry stood up. "I'm going to have to leave, so I can't stay here any longer. Is there anything else you want to say to me?"

"Yeah," Phibrizzo said after a moment. "You don't need to keep things in the freezer just because of a few minor details in life. Free feel to laugh if you find something funny, okay? I don't think you want people to shy away from you just because you're afraid to smile."

_He has no idea what I do for a living, or what the consequences may have been by now,_ Sherry thought apprehensively. _Why did he have to go through this just to see if I even had a sense of humor? It's useless, and---_

The scientist noticed that Phibrizzo had seen her hesitation. The boy's eyes were tearing up, and his lips were trembling. "Please?" he whined. "Could you please at least mull it over?"

"The word 'mull' sounds funny when a crybaby says it," Conan muttered, amused.

Phibrizzo spun towards him. "I am _not_ a crybaby, Edogawa! It's not like I do this every day or even every week, you know!"

"I know, I know," Conan said, still amused. He held his hands in front of him. "Just calm down, would you?"

Sherry coughed quietly, interrupting them and getting their attention. "Phibrizzo, Conan...we'll see about the whole amusement thing. It seems I have a bit to think about later, but for now I can't afford to take any chances." She turned her head momentarily as Konatsu greeted someone who walked through the door.

Phibrizzo wiped his eyes free of tears, returning to a calmer state. "Great. Trust me when I say that it's better for your health."

The scientist nodded, then turned to leave. Out the corner of her eye, she noticed the two kids waving good-bye; taking the cue, she did the same. "Good-bye, kids," she murmured as she departed. "I don't know if I'll talk to you again, but I suppose a conversation was what I needed after all."

Unseen from everyone, a thin smile graced her face.

-------

Place: Several blocks from the Tendo Dojo

Time: Several minutes later

Conan looked up at Phibrizzo, folding his arms behind his head as they walked down the street. "She seemed like a nice person. Who was she, anyway?"

For about a minute, the other boy didn't say anything in response; he just stared straight ahead of him, his eyes narrowed. Before Conan could ask again, he finally got his response. "The name alone says volumes, Edogawa. Until the right time comes, we can't afford to let on that we know anything about her or what she does for a living. Promise?"

"I guess so..." Conan said quietly, unsure.

Phibrizzo glared at him. "That had better be a definite promise, Edogawa. I don't want you rushing off and getting your friends in trouble."

_Now he's **really** getting mysterious. Why does he think it's so important?_ "All right, then. I promise," Conan declared, his tone serious.

His schoolmate nodded and relaxed his movements a little. "All right," he said, lowering his voice. "You were able to figure out what her occupation was by the story she told, didn't you?"

"I figured out that much, yes," Conan said. "She's a scientist. Probably deals with genetics or chemistry."

"You saw what she was wearing, right?" Phibrizzo asked.

"It was a gray business suit with a dark coat," Conan told him, wondering where this was heading. "So what?"

"She made me promise a few days ago not to mention her name in public," Phibrizzo said, smirking just a little. "But I can tell you this much: the name she currently goes by is the same as that of a fine Spanish wine. Do the math, Edogawa."

Conan looked away from Phibrizzo as his brain analyzed the provided evidence. _She's a scientist, she was wearing a dark coat, and---_

Recognition jolted Conan like a static shock, and he emitted a startled gasp. _---and her name's that of a fine Spanish wine? She must work for those people who shrunk me!_

Phibrizzo must've noticed his upset expression. "Heh. The lights switched on."

Angrily, Conan jumped ahead of Phibrizzo and forced him to stop. "Wait one second! If she worked for those men in black coats, why didn't you tell me before?"

"Because if I had told you and they somehow found out about it," Phibrizzo said testily, "they'd also find out that the ace detective they thought they'd done away with was still alive. You, that woman, and everyone else you know would be in some serious trouble." He waited for that fact to sink in before adding: "By extension, that would include me. I can't have _that_, either."

"Well, I don't want to stay like this," Conan complained.

Phibrizzo frowned as a determined expression took form. "Hopefully, you won't need to. If I can get that woman to like us enough, she may be able to help us out without risking her employers' wrath."

"Huh?"

"You mean you didn't know?" Phibrizzo asked, arching an eyebrow. "I'll go over the facts again. She's a scientist, she works for that organization, and she's very hesitant to talk about her work schedule. What does that tell you?"

Conan felt his heart sinking as he stared down at the ground. "It...it would mean that...she was...she was the one who..."

"Who _what?_"

"_SHE_ created that toxic drug!" Conan growled, his angry tone at odds with his shrunken form. _If that assumption is correct, then that means...!_

"That's part of it, admittedly," Phibrizzo said thoughtfully as he turned his gaze to the sky.

"What do you mean, _'part'_ of it? You knew who she was, and you didn't tell me earlier?"

"I can tell just by listening to her words and her tone of voice," Phibrizzo explained. "It's no wonder she's hidden her sense of humor; she's being bothered by a guilty conscience. She wants to admit what she's done, but she's afraid that those men will find out. I don't blame her."

Conan made sure he looked upset enough. "So what are you going to do about it, Phibrizzo?"

"Given time," Phibrizzo said, mostly to himself than to Conan, "we could possibly use her as our link to the organization. I know a few people who could probably help me out in finding where those guys are based." He paused a few seconds, wincing at some sort of ache. "Ow. Anyway, I'll see what I can do. But right now, there's something I need to take care of first." Finished speaking, he continued on towards the Tendo dojo.

Conan followed him, staying a few paces behind. _This kid's becoming more and more of a puzzle, but it's gone from an 80-piece to a 500-piece. He read that woman like an open book, he's claiming to make plans to find those men, he somehow managed to teleport, he treats an afternoon in Nerima like a day in the park, and he somehow discovered that woman's identity! That clinches it; there's just no way that kid is normal._

He took a look at Phibrizzo's back, re-reading the English phrase on his shirt. _'Don't Get Burned', huh? Perhaps he's no kid at all. Regardless of what he is, though, it seems like he's made finding them his own personal mission. I can support him, right? Maybe I shouldn't of been so upset at him._

A cry from several blocks away got their attention, followed by a crash (_That sounded like wood splintering. Must've been pretty strong to be that loud,_ Conan thought There was a high whistling noise that reached a peak, then rolled downward and became louder. A shadow appeared a short distance away.

Conan realized what was going on. _Uh-oh. Incoming!_ He halted his forward movement and jumped backward several feet, keeping his eye on the incoming projectile. Now that he could make out some detail on it, the object looked..._Human?_

It was a human, alright; a pigtailed boy with black hair and an expression that combined annoyance, soreness, and panic. He descended headfirst towards the ground, but he never got there. A loud _clang_, like that of something hitting a brass bell, shattered the previously quiet air.

_Ooh! That has to hurt._

Conan flinched and looked on, his earlier musing forgotten as Phibrizzo fell to the ground and clamped both hands to his head. "Owwwch!" he yelled. "I'm not going to say this again: my head is **_not_** a target!"

"It's not my fault, Phibrizzo," the older boy said as he recovered and stood up, one hand on his head. "Ya could've just gotten out of the way."

"I suppose I could've, Ranma!" Phibrizzo snapped from the ground. "I was trying to catch you, or at least cushion the impact. How was I supposed to know that your head was going to hit mine?"

"I'm just telling ya what ya could've done," Ranma argued. "You don't need to act all upset over it or anything!"

Phibrizzo stood up. "I _am_ upset, you dolt! Acting has nothing to do with this!"

Conan sweatdropped as he listened to them argue. _Add 'freaks out when accidentally hit' to the list._ Hearing a slight tapping noise, he looked down and saw that Phibrizzo's right foot was tapping the ground a few times. _He's getting too agitated, though...I hope he doesn't try anything stupid._

------------

Location: Tendo residence

Place: Ten minutes later

A quiet knock signalled someone's arrival. Since Akane was the closest one to the door (and still a bit sore over another example of Saotome idiocy), she decided to get it. It beat sitting under the new skylight, anyway.

She yanked open the door and started in on him. "You know, you don't need to be so---"

Ranma wasn't there. "Huh? Where is he?"

"Hey...hello..."

Akane looked around for a second, but couldn't find the voice's source. "Huh?"

"Hey, Miss! I'm not _that_ short!"

She finally looked down and found who had knocked at the door: the boy that Nabiki mentioned that she'd talked to. He didn't seem the friendly type; he instead looked thoroughly ticked off, mirroring his shirt perfectly. "If you're going to give that dolt a free trip to the sky," he shouted while pointing at the large bump on his head, "the least you can do is improve your aim!"

Akane tried her best not to yell. _He's just a kid. No need to get mad, _she repeatedly told herself. "Sorry about that, but Ranma's idiocy bothers me sometimes," she said. "I wasn't expecting someone smaller than him to come by."

"Perfectly understandable," the kid groused, looking down at his feet for a moment before turning his gaze back upwards. "Name's Phibrizzo Kaden. I talked to your sister over the phone earlier..."

Akane nodded. "Come on in," she said, ushering him in. He did so, followed by a smaller, slightly nervous boy with glasses. After they removed their shoes, Akane spoke again. "What were you talking to my sister about?"

"I asked her if she could get some of the people that you know around here to hang around that okonomiyaki joint for a bit," Phibrizzo explained, substantially calmer. "I met someone who acts just as cold as your sister, so I decided to see if she'd forgotten how to laugh."

"That explains why Nabiki asked Kuno to confront us, at least," Akane explained as they took seats in the living room. "It also explains the big fight. Do you think it worked?"

"I have no way of knowing until she gets back with that camera," Phibrizzo said, looking at his feet again. "Oh, and by the way: you might want to move a few feet over to the left."

Looking confused for a moment, Akane did as told. About ten seconds later, a medium-sized metal pole---one with a deep indent---crashed into the floor next to her. Taken back just a bit, she did a double-take as her nerves jumped. "What was that?"

Phibrizzo shrugged, nervously scratching the back of his head. "Well, after Ranma landed on me, I got into an argument with him. I got so mad that I thought about booting him, but changed my mind at the last second and kicked that pole instead."

"I wasn't even aware that the human body could bend like that," the other boy chimed in. "You _were_ at fault, though; you freaked out after that collision."

Phibrizzo sighed a bit. "Yeah. Guess you're right, Edogawa. Things had been going great up to that point, too. Shame."

"Excuse me?" Akane asked a trifle suspiciously. "What do you mean, you weren't aware 'the human body could bend like that'?"

"Let's see..." Phibrizzo thought aloud. "I got mad, went to kick the pole...after I kicked it into the air, my leg was...what's the word...huh? Thanks, Curtis..._parallel_ with my body. I'd never done that before." He chuckled to himself. "Wow. I must've been really upset, and---you alright, Miss?"

Akane was staring straight at him, her eyes wide. "_That_ is impossible," she declared. "It _has_ to be impossible. You look like you're what, nine years old?"

"Closer to seven, actually," the small boy told her. "He's in my class at school."

"Seven, then. No one could do that. I don't think even _Ranma_ could do that."

Phibrizzo shrugged. "It's Nerima."

"And at any rate, it _is_ true," Nabiki's voice said from the door. "My video camera caught the whole thing."

Confused, Phibrizzo looked up as Nabiki walked in. "Miss Tendo? I thought you were following that lady."

"I asked someone else to trail her," Nabiki said, "but that's not important. You're certainly not an average kid, are you? Ranma told me as much before he went to the dojo."

"That's understating it a whole lot," the smaller boy said, looking a bit annoyed about something.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Phibrizzo asked testily.

"It doesn't matter if you can make 180-degree kicks or not," the boy replied in the same tone. "If you can teleport all over the place, you're nowhere near average."

Akane's eyes boggled, and Nabiki's interest seemed to increase; the younger Tendo had no way of knowing this, but the Ice Queen was rather stunned as well. "I see," she said. "Looks like we have a lot of questions to ask. For starters, who's the other kid?"

The boy smiled. "Conan Edogawa. I'm a classmate of his."

The questioning continued, but Akane tuned everything out for a bit. _A kid who can make 180-degree kicks and can teleport? That's not normal, even for Nerima. What next? Does he spit fire or something?_

----------

Elsewhere, unaware of the questioning taking place in the Tendo home, Sherry was waiting for the next train to come. She had a lot to think about before heading back to work, and most of it revolved around what she had seen that day.

As she thought, she placed her hands in her pockets. One of them closed around a small piece of paper; knowing it hadn't been there before, Sherry pulled it out in order to read it. "This coat has been inspected by Phibrizzo Manufacturing Incorporated," she mouthed. "Note: coat needs more candy. Sourballs preferred, pocky accepted." She shook her head, mildly amused. _Kid must've put it in my coat when I wasn't looking._

With that thought out of the way, Sherry's mind began to wander as it analyzed each detail of her visit. _A vending machine disguise...there must be others she's used that are even crazier. A telephone pole? A school desk?_ A tiny smile appeared as she considered other possible disguises.

_Chinese Amazons with the names of hygiene products...there are three in Nerima, with the names Shampoo, Mousse, and Cologne. Soap, Hair Spray...there's definitely got to be more where that came from. From subspace pockets onward...the scientific possibilities for study are endless!_ Sherry's smile lengthened a little.

_The Kuno family's definitely psycho...probably isn't their own fault, though. I don't fancy the idea of getting asked on a date, and I can't imagine what I'd look like with a bowl haircut._ The amused smile was at its full length now, and her cold eyes melted a little.

_A giant panda that talks through signs, and somehow understands martial arts and human lifestyles as well...the traveling circus would have a field day if they somehow managed to get a hold of him. I wonder if they could get him to hand out balloons or snacks?_ A quiet chuckle escaped her as the thought crossed her mind.

_I had thought that the redhaired girl had a brother when I first saw those pictures, but it looks like a very clever disguise. I'd thought a trick like that was supposed to be impossible! And that young man who couldn't go the right way even once in eight tries...where in the world did he pick up his direction sense? I can only imagine the places he's been._ Sherry got a mental image of Ryoga holding a map of Spain every which way, trying to figure out where he was. A giggling fit overcame her, making her feel as if she were in elementary school again.

_Take three Amazons, three insane Kunos, one intelligent panda, two martial artists with innumerable quirks, numerous fiancees and weirdoes who seem to enjoy messing with other people's lives, a giant winged bull with a ridiculous name, an old man who deserves a lifetime within a mental institution somewhere far from Japan, and the most ridiculous martial arts schools known to man. Toss them all together in the same area, and...and..._

------

In the middle of the conversation between Phibrizzo, Conan Edogawa, Nabiki, Kasumi---who had gotten done with some cleaning and decided to sit in on the conversation---and herself, Nabiki's cell phone rang. Akane looked on as her older sister excused herself and went upstairs to answer the call.

"Let me see if I have this straight," Conan was saying to Phibrizzo. "Not long ago, you picked up a multiple personality disorder?"

"Yeah," Phibrizzo said, wincing at some unknown ache. He took a bite out of a rice cake that Kasumi had made. "If you ever see me spacing out or acting differently, that's the reason why."

"That explains why you jumped up and hugged Rachel right out of the blue," Conan said, amazed. "One of your personalities must've kicked in."

"Did you _have_ to bring that up?" Phibrizzo growled unhappily. Akane, a trifle suspiciously, stared at him. "I was hoping _not_ to get belted by an overzealous martial artist due to some misunderstanding. Rachel's my cousin by her uncle's adoption of me," he added as he noticed Akane's stare. "Nothing more, nothing less."

Akane let her suspicions fade for now, reminding herself that it was a kid she was dealing with. "Well, I guess if she's your cousin..." She let that statement remain unfinished, beginning a new line of thought. "Where did Ranma go?"

Phibrizzo smiled a bit. "After I kicked that pole like that, he went off to your dojo. He was muttering something about wanting to see if he could do that. Insanely skilled or not, I think this is one trick he _won't_ be able to manage." He continued nibbling at the rice cake calmly.

Kasumi appeared pleased, which wasn't any real surprise to Akane. "Well, it looks like things are about to become exciting again. I wonder what father's going to think when he and Genma return?"

"So everything that goes on here is just 'same old, same old'?" Conan asked Kasumi, on the edge of his seat.

Before anyone could answer, Nabiki came back down the stairs and reassumed her spot next to Akane. "You know, Phibrizzo," she said with a smirk, "you really are something else. You know that?"

Phibrizzo frowned. "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that your little plan to make that woman laugh was a complete success," Nabiki explained. While paying attention to her, Akane saw Phibrizzo's face light up. "I'd sent my informant to trail her after I decided to come home. From what I was told, the woman was standing in the subway waiting for a train to come in. She took out a little note from her pocket, then put it away. Afterward she was smiling, and then she began chuckling. Soon she had to lean on my informant's shoulder to keep from falling over; that's how hard she was laughing."

"The note I slipped in her coat pocket couldn't have been that funny," Phibrizzo said, a broad grin in place. "The sheer number of oddities around here must've hit her all at once. I love it when everything goes right, don't you?" He wolfed down what was left of his snack.

Akane shook her head, thinking about her life after Ranma's arrival. "I wouldn't know too much about that."

Phibrizzo shrugged and stood up, then stepped toward Nabiki. "Nabiki, thanks a _lot_ for helping me out. I've gotta go."

For a moment, Akane thought she saw a smile flicker across Nabiki's face. It was quickly replaced by her usual facade. "Don't mention it, kid. Just remember what I said about not giving you anymore freebies. It's full price from now on; do you get---he's not listening."

While she was talking, Phibrizzo and Conan were busy trying to get their shoes back on. They succeeded after a minute, waved good-bye, and bolted.

"Such energetic children," Kasumi remarked. "I wonder why they took off like that, though?"

Nabiki tapped her chin. "Well, Phibrizzo told me that his parents weren't too thrilled about him coming here. That Conan kid didn't look eager to stay, either."

Akane remained silent for a few seconds. She wasn't an expect in such matters, but she was certain that both Phibrizzo and Conan were a lot smarter than they looked. How else could they keep up in a conversation with her sister, Furinkan High's resident "Ice Queen"? "There's something funny about those two. I just know it."

"What, you think they're going to challenge Ranma someday?" Nabiki asked jokingly, keeping her poker face in place. "I can imagine Genma and father chewing him out for letting a _kid_ get the best of him."

"No, not like that." Akane shook her head, upset. "Forget I even mentioned it!"

"Maybe I will, maybe I won't," Nabiki said, shrugging. "Okay, maybe I won't. You know I was kidding, though. Right?"

She nodded, but kept silent as he thought over the afternoon's events.

------------

Nabiki was thinking, too---about their visitors. Phibrizzo seemed to have the know-how to survive in Nerima, despite the fact that he lived in a bit more modernized area. Conan had an intelligence that belied his youth a great deal. A child prodigy, maybe? Perhaps...but perhaps not. She'd heard of the names Conan and Edogawa before; one of her informants was a closet mystery freak, and sometimes went on about them whenever she thought Nabiki wasn't around.

No one used the name "Phibrizzo", no matter how strange your parents were. And there was something about his little friend that didn't add up, either.

Being curious about those things wouldn't keep the family and building afloat, though. A deeper section of Nabiki's consciousness reminded her that charging money to kids (who weren't even half her age) just for information wasn't just unethical, it was _wrong_.

Didn't mean she wouldn't do a little checking tomorrow, though.

------------

Location: Beika Park

"Phibrizzo, it has to have been at least five minutes since we left," Conan complained as the duo departed the park. "Your little fit's starting to worry me."

Phibrizzo tried his hardest to contain his grin, but ultimately failed. "Sorry, Edogawa," he said. "This is one of the first things that has gone right for me ever since I arrived in town. Who would've thought that a burdened scientist with a monkey on her back still had some trace of humanity? I _love_ it when things go my way!" He kept up his fit, his laughter somewhere between a snicker and a giggle.

Conan shook his head and sighed. "I don't know about you, but I'm about ready to go home. I'm not sure if Rachel's gotten back yet, but I think I can last until she returns home."

Phibrizzo slowly calmed down. "I'm going to get home too. Might as well get that homework over with."

"You know, you're perfectly welcome to drop by and get either my help or Rachel's on it," Conan offered. "I already know all that stuff."

"Wish I could, but I have a curfew," Phibrizzo murmured. _The nerve..._ "Since we usually eat around six o'clock, I have to be back by that time. Mom made it perfectly clear to me before I left this morning. She probably said that just to make sure I didn't stay in Nerima too long." He yawned a little, then blinked his eyes wearily.

Conan noticed this. "What's wrong?" he asked curiously.

Phibrizzo looked around him a bit, making sure everyone else in the area was out of earshot. Lowering his voice, he explained: "That little teleportation trick of mine? I can't use it at will."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. If I teleport repeatedly in only a few hours time, I start feeling physically drained. It really wears me out, but there's no way around it. Got to take the bad with the good, as someone I know told me once."

"I only counted four times, though," Conan pointed out. "Once to your house, then to Nerima, once to get away from the clueless swordsman when we arrived, and then back to Beika. It's not _that_ bad, is it?"

"Four's enough if it's only been a few hours," Phibrizzo responded. "If spread throughout the day, it's different. Anyway, I'll take you up on your offer some other time." He turned at a street corner, keeping his eyes out for passing cars before tilting his head and waving good-bye. "See you tomorrow," he said, a shadow of his earlier smile showing up briefly.

Conan did the same. "See ya."

------------

As was the case with Nabiki, Conan's thoughts filled his mind as he made his way back to the agency. _It's certainly been an eventful day so far. I would never have figured that coming into contact with him would've given me a lead on those men!_

_But the more I know, the more questions I have. Why does it sound like he doesn't trust anyone with that information but me? Why does he persist in going there, and why did he detail the life of the average Nerima resident in a nutshell? What does he have to gain by finding those men? How can a person so young be capable of so much?_

_Phibrizzo Kaden...just who are you?_

----------

Time: Ten minutes later

Place: Kaden residence

Since it was still some time before dinner, Sylvia took her time taking care of small chores around the house. She looked forward to a full recovery; she wasn't 100 yet, but she was getting there. Phibrizzo's arrival had a positive influence on her health; she figured she just missed taking care of a child. It wouldn't be long before she could return to the local community center again; it was the kind of work she enjoyed, after all.

After Phibrizzo had left for Nerima (_I hope he returns home safely. There's no telling what will happen to him there, _she thought), Sylvia had straightened things up around the house, did some laundry, dusted off the living room, and put various discarded items away. After she'd done so, curiousity led her to examine the two-piece tunic Phibrizzo had been wearing when he first came to live with them. She'd been quite impressed with the quality, although she wasn't sure if the material was polyester or silk. Afterwards, she decided it was a little bit of both. _Whoever made this knew what they were doing. Did he get this handmade overseas?_

Before she could muse any further, she heard a familiar voice shout from the living room: "Mom, I'm home!"

Immediately closing Phibrizzo's closet, Sylvia charged into the hall, down the stairs, into the living room, and grabbed her foster child in a huge hug. "I'm glad you've arrived safely, hon! You weren't hurt at all, were you?"

"If I wasn't before, I probably am now," Phibrizzo managed to groan. "Mom, would you _mind?_"

Sylvia stopped herself and stepped away a bit. "I'm sorry, Phibrizzo. I'm just glad you're okay." She noticed the image on Phibrizzo's T-shirt, one of her eyebrows arching. "Um...that's nice artwork, but I'm wondering where exactly you got that shirt."

Phibrizzo looked down at his shirt. "Oh, this? This was one of the shirts Dad got me. I met someone at an art studio who did some silkscreening, and he added the image. I just picked it up yesterday."

Sylvia found herself eyeing the image. "Yes, but...a spinning fireball?"

"I like it, anyway." Phibrizzo shrugged. "Besides, it's not like I'm going to wear it to school or anything."

Remembering that he hadn't worn this shirt when he went to school, Sylvia relented. "All right. But just not to school, okay? You wouldn't want to set a bad example or anything."

Phibrizzo smiled cutely. "Okay, mom." He dropped the smile, and for the first time Sylvia saw how tired he looked. "I'm going to rest until dinner, then I'll do some homework after."

"Okay, hon."

As Phibrizzo walked past her and went upstairs, Sylvia's eye was caught by one additional detail. It was the English phrase (written in orange and yellow letters) on the back of his shirt, which read: "Don't Get Burned." Unsure of whether to question her foster child or not, she let it go. She made a point, though, to make sure he wouldn't get into undue trouble.

As she went about her business, Sylvia thought about showing Phibrizzo the art brochure that had arrived in the mail recently. _If he likes art, maybe I'll show it to him after dinner._

_Goodness! I think I left his bedroom door open...oh, well. He hasn't gotten to meet her yet._

---------

Phibrizzo closed the door, kicked off his slippers, and threw himself onto his bed. _I should've just had Inuyasha take over and take care of that moron instead of teleporting away. I feel drained._

"Smart move, though," Curtis said; throughout most of the encounter with Sherry and Conan, he'd just laid back in his chair and watched a basketball game (not counting another disappearance an hour prior). He'd only stopped at one point to explain something to Phibrizzo concerning the old man; just the memory of what Curtis said disgusted him. "Kuno's one of the cogs that makes Nerima tick, and we wanted to show that to Sherry, right?"

Inuyasha looked up from where he was checking over a deck of cards. "It's still strange that this much idiocy can be crammed in one area. How did things get that way?"

"Don't ask me." Curtis ignored Phibrizzo's half-shut eyes in favor of the basketball game, despite the effect it had on the lighting. "You satisfied, Phibrizzo?"

_Definitely,_ the half-mazoku thought wearily. _Not only did I get myself entertained, I think I know how we'll be keeping ourselves busy for a while._

"How's that?"

_Finding those men that Conan seems so obsessed with finding._

"I'm surprised that you want to help him get hold of those toxic pills," Curtis said. "I mean, once he gets them and delivers them to Doctor Agasa, he'll be returning to his teenage form within a short time."

_I never said I was going to get the poison...at least, not yet. I just want a chance to drive the organization crazy._

Inuyasha chuckled. "You figured out that it's an organization already?"

_There's got to be more working with those men than just Sherry. I'm sure there's got to be others, and---_ Phibrizzo's thoughts were interrupted as something stepped onto his stomach, causing him to grunt softly. This was followed by a feeling of warmth as whatever it was settled down.

"You okay, Phibrizzo?" Curtis asked.

_Yeah, I'm fine. Let me see..._

Phibrizzo's eyes re-opened, but he wasn't quite prepared for the sight that greeted him: pointed ears, whiskers, twitching tail, long cream-and-white fur, bright green eyes staring into his...it all started and ended with a capital C-a-t. "Mrowwwrr."

Everything was silent. No one knew what to say until Phibrizzo asked silently: _Should I move?_

Curtis coughed a few times, looking upset at him. "Why? It's happy where it is!"

"Huge fuzzball," Inuyasha commented dryly.

In the end, Phibrizzo decided not to move. He wished his foster mother would come upstairs and carry the feline away, though, because he---wait. Why did he have a feeling of dependency all of a sudden? "Just when I was feeling happy with myself, too!" he moaned.

His only response was a quiet purr.

------------

_Chapter Five concluded. Chapter Six soon to commence_

Author's Notes

The fireball and the English phrase of his choice fit Phibrizzo perfectly, especially as we'll see later on.

Can anyone here imagine Phibrizzo playing "RC Pro-Am" or "The Goonies II"? I guess I should've asked this at the end of the last chapter, but oh well. I think it's amusing, at any rate...especially his reaction if he loses. Heh, heh.

"A man shouldn't get into anything that ain't his own affair." Phibrizzo was quoting John Wayne from _Big Jake_ when he said this to Sherry. Curtis likely showed him the movie at some point.

Can't think of anything else to say. Let's move on.


	12. Chapter Six Part A

WHAT INSERTION?

by Curtis Wildcat

_Chapter Six, Part A _--- A Cat at Teitan Elementary

--------

**(Cue theme)**

--------

Time: About an hour after Chapter Five

Place: Kaden residence

Sylvia kept a close eye on dinner, all the while thinking about what her son may have been up to. It was a mystery to her why he looked so tired; all the other times she'd seen him, he still seemed to overflow with youthful energy. She recalled Phibrizzo telling her that he'd went to Nerima to talk to someone, and she frowned. She'd heard the rumors about Nerima, so simply thinking about the place worried her greatly. She supposed that her adopted son had ran into trouble somewhere, and tired himself out getting away. It's funny...he didn't seem to mind going there, and he'd also told her about a few of the places that were there before she'd agreed to turn him loose.

_I wonder if he'd be willing to go back there in a few days and bring something home...it's been too long since I've had some decent pizza._

Happy with how her cooking was turning out, Sylvia leaned part-way out of the kitchen and called upstairs: "Phibrizzo, dinner's ready!"

"I'd love to, Mom, but I'm presently occupied at the moment. Um...could you help me?" Phibrizzo's voice whined. "Please?"

Frowning and wondering why he said that, Sylvia set the heater on its lowest setting before pacing up the stairs. _What's he gotten himself into?_

As soon as she opened the bedroom door, though, she breathed a sigh of relief...and hid her mouth with her hand to surpress an amused smile. Phibrizzo was sprawled out on his back over the bed, glaring at the source of his discomfort: a large, furry cream-and-white cat who was currently settled on his stomach. "Someone get him off me!" the boy complained.

Sylvia reached over and carefully picked up the cat, allowing Phibrizzo to prop himself up. "Come on," she cooed, petting the cat's head. "That's my kitty. What are you doing in here, huh? You know you're not allowed in here."

"Yeah, as if the cat understands," Phibrizzo grumbled, trying to get cat hair off his shirt. "I didn't know you had one."

"That's because you've never seen her," Sylvia explained calmly. "All the times she was around, you either haven't been paying attention or she's been hiding somewhere. I think she's used to you now." She smiled. "Phibrizzo, meet French Vanilla. She was a gift that a friend from Europe gave me about five years ago." She thought back for a moment. "She called her a Norwegian Forest cat...at least, I think so."

"Uh-huh," Phibrizzo said, not really impressed. "And you called her 'French Vanilla', _why?_"

Sylvia thought back a few years. "While I was thinking of a name for her, I decided to get some ice cream..."

"Maybe I'll just eat something," Phibrizzo answered, sounding a bit disbelieving as he got off the bed.

"Huh." _Marcus still finds it amusing, at least, _Sylvia thought as she put the cat down outside the bedroom.

-------------

Time: Three days later

Place: Outside Teitan Elementary

"It took you longer than usual," Conan said, greeting a black-clad Phibrizzo as he walked out the school doors. Amy, Mitch, and George were following along behind him. "I know you're the last one out, but still..."

Phibrizzo scowled. "I slipped and fell on a wet floor. The teacher sent me over to the nurse's office just to be on the safe side. Nothing serious."

"Goes to show you should always watch out for those 'Caution: Wet Floor' signs, Phibrizzo..." Mitch reminded him.

"Yeah, yeah," Phibrizzo said, waving him off. "You sound like my mom."

"Speaking of your mother, how is she?" Conan asked.

"A _lot_ better. She went back to work today. One thing's for sure," Phibrizzo declared, "and that's if I have anything to say about it, she's _not_ leaving me alone with that cat!"

"I didn't know you had a cat," Amy said, smiling for a second. "What's wrong with it?"

"It's annoying, that's what." Phibrizzo absently brushed some hair out of his eyes. "The last few days when I get home, I've had to get all this cat hair off the bed. I was doing this yesterday, and I forgot that my door was still open. I stepped back to close it, and...well..." he averted his gaze, clearly unhappy.

"Well, _what?_" George inquired. "What happened?"

"I'd love to know who came up with the plans for that house," Phibrizzo groused. "The cat tackled my leg from behind, and...do I really have to finish this?"

"Yeah! I'd like to hear what happened, if you don't mind!" Mitch insisted.

Phibrizzo sighed dejectedly. "Whoever decided to place the bedroom door _right in front of the stairs_ must not've been thinking straight. To put it simply: the cat tackled me, I fell backward..." He issued a half-lidded stare at the group. "...and guess where I fell."

Amy gasped. "You didn't!"

"I did."

Conan gaped. "You would've gotten seriously hurt if you did!"

"I did."

Mitch looked worried. "At the least, you'd need to stay home!"

"I wish."

George's eyes widened. "You could've just ignored the door!"

"I object."

As one, the group chorused: "_You fell backwards down the stairs?_"

"I'd treat you to ice cream for assuming correctly," Phibrizzo said sarcastically, "except I'm running low on money."

Mitch didn't look too sure. "Hold on. How do we know you're not just making that up? It could just be an excuse for not liking your cat!"

Angrily, Phibrizzo spun around, brushing aside some hair on the back of his head. "Does _this_ look like I'm just making it up, genius?" he snapped irritably, pointing to a large bandage.

"Okay, okay! So you don't like your cat!" George interrupted, quick to defend his friend. "You don't need to throw a hissy fit!"

"Bad pun," Phibrizzo murmured as he dropped his hand and turned to face them again.

-----------

"Don't ask me how that bruise got there, Phibrizzo," Curtis muttered to himself. "The only part of your head that's human-formed are the layers of skin and hair."

"What?" Inuyasha asked from the other chamber. "No brain?"

"_And_ no skull," Curtis said, sipping some water. "So even if he gets hit up there, he's safe. Nothing really there to damage."

_Rrrgh...You've been waiting to say that. Admit it!_

Inuyasha could be heard sniffing the air. He spoke up, getting their attention. "Guys! I think there's a cat somewhere around here, and this one is no little tabby."

----------

"Jim! Jimmy!" an annoying, female voice called out. "I'm over here!"

As the group turned to see the voice's source, Phibrizzo thought for sure he saw Conan cringe. Smirking a bit, he filed that away for future reference. _That should be fun to watch someday, assuming I'm able to reuse this one ability of mine. Haven't used it in a while._

Phibrizzo recognized the figure who was standing at the entrance to the school grounds, all right. Since he wasn't in charge when the trio first met her, he didn't say anything; he decided instead to feign curiousity.

"I'm here, Aisha," someone else replied.

The person who had answered her was a few inches taller than Phibrizzo, had light brown hair, and a look in his eyes that screamed intelligence. A heavy bag hung from one shoulder, but he didn't seem to mind. He smiled happily as he walked towards the taller person. "Consistent, as always!"

"Hey, who is she?" Phibrizzo asked the others while indicating Aisha, wanting to check if they knew. Meanwhile, she raced forward to meet her friend.

"She's Aisha June," Amy told him. "She always comes here at this time to pick him up. People are always saying mean things about her because of the way she looks."

"Yeah, but she's real popular with the kids in Jim Hawking's grade," Mitch said, picking up the line of thought. "That's why she continues to drop by."

"Oh, for crying out loud."

_Something wrong in there, fatso?_ Phibrizzo asked, hearing Curtis's annoyed remark.

"It's about Jim Hawking and Aisha. Remember those entertainment programs from back home that I showed you?"

_Say no more, and show me later._

"There's something funny about her," Inuyasha growled, watching as the kids said 'hi' to Aisha and began conversing amongst themselves. "And I'm not talking about comedy. The odor of a cat's bothering my nose."

"You sure it's not French Vanilla you're smelling?" Curtis asked.

"I can tell the difference between cats even at a distance," Inuyasha insisted, jumping to his feet. "Trust me; this is no ordinary house cat I'm talking about here."

_Would you be quiet for a minute? I'm trying to hear what they're saying._

"---don't know where she came from," Amy was saying.

"Maybe she's from out of the country," Mitch replied. "I heard that there are some pretty strange people from places like the States."

"Guys?" Phibrizzo piped up. "She's from Japan."

The foursome stared at him curiously. "How do you know that?" George asked.

"Someone I know met her at a sporting goods store," Phibrizzo explained. "I found out that both her parents are very much Japanese, and that no one knows why her skin's brown or her hair's gray."

"Why'd you ask us, then?" Conan asked suspiciously.

"Wasn't sure if _you_ knew." Phibrizzo made certain that Conan caught the hint. "She's nice, though. A bit clumsy, but nice."

"Yes, I can tell. My, but she looks strange..."

Even while startled, Phibrizzo was sure he could feel his skin tingling; if he had a heart, he was sure it would be beating a lot faster. He spun around to see who had spoken...and was shocked to see the last person he expected. "Mom, don't scare me like that!"

"Did I scare you? I'm sorry; I didn't mean to."

Phibrizzo sighed, aware that Conan and the others were watching him; their interest in Aisha was momentarily forgotten. "What are you doing here? I thought you were at work!"

"That's just during the morning and early afternoon, Phibrizzo," Sylvia said, most of her attention on Aisha. "I was tired of sitting around the house, so I came to see if school let out yet."

Phibrizzo---and likely Curtis and Inuyasha as well---knew what that was code for. "You were worried about me, were you?" he asked matter-of-factly. _I hope she doesn't make a habit of this. Having a worried **human** on my heels is the last thing I need._

Sylvia focused on her foster child. "Yes, I was. I was afraid that you were some sort of troublemaker, and I worried that you'd somehow gotten hurt as a result." She chuckled lightly behind one hand. "I remember the crash from yesterday. I was surprised to find out that Vanilla tripped you up." Frowning, she murmured: "Although I don't understand how you had nothing more than that bruise..."

"Mom, please!" Phibrizzo whined, not knowing that Aisha and Jim were watching them as well; the conversation had caught their ears and eyes. "Could you at least please close my bedroom door when I forget? That cat's crazy! It attacked my leg from out of nowhere!"

Unseen by everyone, Curtis smiled and nodded. "Cats rule."

"In your dreams, maybe---oh, wait; for you, this _is_ a dream," Inuyasha taunted. "Would it make any difference if you were surrounded by dogs?"

"I am," Curtis said. "They're too noisy, and they bark on general principles."

"What was that?"

"Just settle down, Inuyasha. I wasn't talking about you."

"Oh."

Meanwhile, the external conversation continued. "Phibrizzo, Vanilla just likes to play," Sylvia explained. "Don't be too hard on her; she must think you're her new playmate or something. Kyle really liked her..."

"Well, I'm not Kyle, I'm not friends with that cat, and I'm sick and tired of cleaning up loose cat hair!" Phibrizzo complained. "If only---"

"I'm sorry," Aisha's voice crooned right next to his ear, "but were you just saying something about cats? I couldn't help but overhear..."

Surprisingly, Phibrizzo didn't jump---even though a cold chill was doing a Road Runner impression on his back. "I'm not sure I like that tone of voice, Miss June," he warned nervously, turning his head.

"Hey---she's still got that hat and headband," Inuyasha noted.

"For that matter, it's the same stuff she had when we met her," Curtis said. "I wonder if that hat's hiding something."

"I happen to _like_ cats, kid," Aisha muttered gruffly in response to Phibrizzo's nervousness. "There's something about them that attracts me to them. What I _don't_ like is other people downgrading them. Understand?"

"You think she's part cat?" asked Inuyasha as Aisha spoke to their host.

Curtis slumped just a little. "Even if she isn't, I'm pretty sure she has the features of one."

"Miss June," Phibrizzo said a trifle warningly, "would you mind getting out of my face? There's a little thing called personal space, and I have a lot of it."

"Not until you answer my question," Aisha growled, edging a bit closer.

"Aisha, could you leave him alone? I don't think he likes that," Jim's voice interrupted.

Aisha stood up and spun around, her long braided hair smacking into Phibrizzo's face as she did so. "But Jim, he..." she protested, ignoring the half-mazoku's startled sneeze.

"He was talking about his own cat, not cats in general," her friend reminded her. "I'm pretty sure you got your point across. Could you leave him alone, please?"

"Spoilsport," Aisha said, pretending to pout a little. "You're no fun sometimes, kiddo."

Phibrizzo's friends appeared amazed. "From dangerous to friendly in seconds," Mitch said in awe. "Talk about your mood swings."

Inuyasha looked on, amused. "I thought you didn't need to breathe, Phibby."

_The nose's just there for appearances. I don't actually use it._

Curtis made a note of something elsewhere in his chamber. "You have sinuses without lungs...huh. You learn something every day, I guess."

Phibrizzo mentally scoffed. _Yeah, right._

"Excuse me...Miss June, was it?" Sylvia asked. "I'm Sylvia Kaden, Phibrizzo's adoptive mother. I have something I'd like to ask you, if you have a second."

Aisha turned to her. "Sure. What do you wanna know?"

"It's not much...probably a little silly, now that I think about it," Sylvia confessed. "I'm just a little curious why you'd choose to wear both a hat _and_ a headband. It's not like anyone can really tell that the headband's there..."

------------

"Now _this_ is interesting," Curtis remarked, drinking a glass of ice water. "Never seen a person's entire face turn blue like that. Must be the physics of this place."

"We were right." Curtis couldn't see Inuyasha, but he could tell that he was grinning by his tone. "Something's up with that talking cat."

"Um...well, that is to say...well, I..." Aisha kept stumbling over her words for several seconds, then finally stared at the ground, her teeth chattering.

Curtis and Inuyasha began trading commentary. "Check out her teeth. I doubt she uses chopsticks a whole lot."

"Must make it really hard to eat ramen. I do smell some beef, though."

"Well?" Conan asked Aisha. "How come? Miss Kaden's right, you know."

Aisha seemed to regain her composure. "Don't really want to say. I have my reasons."

"That doesn't answer my question," Sylvia insisted. "No beating around the bush. I want a straight answer. Okay?"

Aisha tried to remain calm. "Look, Miss Kaden, I don't have to tell you if I don't want to!"

"For something as little as one simple question?" George blurted out. "How hard could it be to do that? I'll bet you're hiding something!"

"Out of those three," Inuyasha said, "he was the last one I figured to realize it first."

"Same here. I was expecting Conan to come to that conclusion before anyone else."

"Oh, well. Can't win them all."

_Guys, if she's going to keep stammering and coming up with excuses, we'll never see for ourselves if you're right. Inuyasha, give me a hand here._

"What for?"

_You know fully well what for, cave canem canine. It's the same thing I always having problems with on my own. You know, that...thing?_

"Ohhhh."

------------

Without warning, Phibrizzo's tear ducts began working overtime. "You're so mean!" he cried. "Why are you being so mean to meeee?"

Aisha's nervousness heightened tenfold. _Oh, great! What's gotten him all worked up? It couldn't have stressed him out that much...could it?_

Seemed like it did; Conan had to back away from him to keep from being doused. "Wow, that's _really_ new!"

Jim looked on, nonplussed; the other three kids who were with Phibrizzo appeared much the same.

Sylvia gazed down at her adoptive son in wonder, then turned towards Aisha angrily. "Now look what you've done. You've made my son cry! I suggest that you remove that hat and apologize to him!"

"But Miss Kaden---"

"_Now!"_

Quietly groaning, Aisha hesitantly raised one hand towards her head. As soon as it reached the edge of her face, she paused and began quivering. _Yelled down by a protective parent...this is not how I wanted my day to go! _"You asked for it," she snapped. "I'll do it, and then you're going to despise me just like everyone else!" Without further warning, she yanked the headband and hat off and flung them to the ground.

Silence reigned over the mostly-empty street. Sylvia let her jaw fall open. Conan gasped. Mitch, Amy, and George did both. _I knew it,_ Aisha thought worriedly. _Another example of ostracism demonstrated by Aisha June. Wonderful._ As that line entered into her head, her eyes turned to Phibrizzo Kaden.

Despite the old tears that now hung on the edges of his eyes, he was smiling. This wasn't the smile that was preceded by teasing and laughter; this was a genuine expression.

A split second later, the entire group---minus Sylvia, whose expression now bordered on curiousity---began clamoring. "Wow, how cool is that?" "I've never seen those before." "Man, I wish I had a camera with me!"

Everyone now knew what Aisha had been hiding: a set of large, triangular cat ears. She didn't care, though; someone finally had a response other than "Freak!" or "Get out of here!" As she rubbed her ears---as usual, they ached a little from being stuck behind the headband---she decided she couldn't be happier. _They actually don't care how I look!_

"Aisha? Are you okay?"

Taking a moment to gather her nerves, she turned to Jim and nodded. "Aisha is A-OK!" she declared, grinning happily.

"Young lady, are those your real ears?" Sylvia asked curiously, one eyebrow arched in disbelief.

"Why would I put up a big fuss over fake ears?" Aisha's ears twitched a few times. "These are the genuine article---and very sharp, if I do say so myself! In fact---" Her ears twitched again. "Hey, did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Conan---the small kid with the glasses---asked.

"I heard something in the school," Aisha growled, turning towards the school. "I think it sounded like a scream or something." She immediately flipped over the kids and hurried into the school at a fast jog. "You kids stay back! Trust me on this!"

------------

Everyone turned to watch as Aisha ran into the school. "She heard something?" George said. "I didn't hear anything."

"Neither did I," Amy admitted. "What about you, Conan? Phibrizzo?"

Conan shook his head. "Don't look at me. I didn't hear anything, either." He turned to face Phibrizzo, intending to ask what that was about. One small problem...

"Phibrizzo, come back here!" Sylvia yelled authoritatively, quite obviously upset.

"Huh?" everyone else asked in unison. They followed the woman's angry gaze towards the front doors...just in time to see Phibrizzo's dark form follow Aisha into the building. "Phibrizzo, wait!"

Conan frowned, glaring at the doors as they closed. _You'd think that he'd have the common sense to just stay back and listen to them. But then again...I have that bow-tie speaker that Dr. Agasa gave me. If someone's being threatened, maybe I could try to scare away whomever's doing this._ He smiled. _Besides, I suspect that Phibrizzo's inadvertantly showed me something important._

Conan turned towards Sylvia Kaden. "Excuse me?" he asked. "Aren't we supposed to call the police at this point? Somehow, I don't think it's a science experiment gone wrong."

Phibrizzo's adoptive mother looked down at him, a bit surprised that he'd brought it up. "Well...okay," she said hesitantly. "I don't think it'll be a problem. Can I leave it up to you and your friends to do that when we get in? Tell the principal about it, and have him call."

"Sure!" Conan's friends announced.

Sylvia smiled for a second, then began running towards the doors as fast as she could. "Wait!" George yelled after her. "What are _you_ going to do?"

"What I'm going to do," Sylvia shouted back, "is _find my son!_"

Everyone waited until she was out of earshot before conversing again. "I know what you're thinking," Conan remarked smugly, glancing out the corner of his eye. "You guys want to know what's going on, don't you?"

"You bet we do!" Mitch said eagerly. Behind him, George and Amy seemed just as excited.

Conan nodded slowly. "Great. George, would you mind telling the principal what's going on?"

"What about you?" George asked. "What are you guys going to do?"

"Simple. We're going through the back door. Follow me, but when we get in, try to keep quiet about it!"

_"Yeah!"_

With that, the group of friends charged forward.

--------

_To be continued_


	13. Chapter Six, Part B

WHAT INSERTION?

by Curtis Wildcat

_Chapter Six, Part B _--- Dogs, Cats, and Detectives

--------

**(Cue theme)**

--------

Taking advantage of the speed that her unique cellular makeup afforded her, Aisha tore through the hallways of Teitan Elementary. She didn't know who screamed, but she did know where it came from: a classroom on the second floor. She had her suspicions, though...

Ever since she became old enough to understand, deep down she feared for her parents' safety; by extension, she feared for whoever came in contact with her or her family. By the unwritten rule of "guilt by association", even a total stranger who treated Aisha or her parents respectably could be in danger. After all, those who didn't like her weren't as nice.

That paranoia had recently grown to include the children and the protective mother that she'd met merely minutes ago. Therefore, if the worst came to pass, she'd take advantage of the abilities that she somehow possessed. It was likely her fault that this had happened, anyway.

After leaping up a stairwell four steps at a time, she yanked open the 2nd floor doors and resumed her mad dash. Making a sudden 90-degree turn, she aimed for the only open door on the floor...the place where her instincts told her the scream had came from.

Once again, her instincts had proven her correct. A tall, thin woman was backed against one of the desks, glaring nervously at someone. Poking her face around the corner, Aisha found out that her attacker's face was covered with a bright yellow mask, and the person was armed with a wooden baseball bat. _I figured this would happen,_ she thought. _Someone's after her!_

Without any hesitation, Aisha leapt from her hiding spot and launched herself head-on into the unknown assailant. Caught completely off-guard, the person didn't have any time to react as he slammed into the wall.

Recovering, Aisha stood up and kept her gaze locked on the would-be assailant. The figure's head tilted up, but she couldn't tell whether the person was upset or unconscious. Keeping her eyes focused, she moved backwards until the woman she rescued was within her field of vision. "You alright?"

The woman nodded, smiling wryly. "I'm glad you hadn't left yet," she said. "Although I am wondering why you don't have your hat or headband..."

"Got chewed out by an overprotective mother." Aisha smiled, embarassed. "But she didn't care about my looks. She didn't care! Someone actually likes me! Ha!"

The woman's smile seemed more pleased. "And here I'd thought that young Hawking was the exception to the rule. I guess I was wrong. Come on; we should call the police."

As the two of them slowly walked towards the door while still talking, neither of them noticed the yellow-masked person silently pick himself off the floor and creep after them. If the associate downstairs was all set, they'd be able to carry out their two-objective plan...

"I'm all set," the person heard. "Be ready."

Excellent.

---------

"What do you mean, you didn't see where she went?" Inuyasha snapped, glaring out the viewport.

_I lost track of her after she turned that corner!_ Phibrizzo complained, keeping his eyes and ears open as he continuously scanned the first-floor hallway. _I didn't know she could run that fast!_

"If she has the proportionate speed and strength of a cat, then of _course_ she's going to run that fast," Curtis said, not any more pleased than Inuyasha was. He stifled a sneeze. "What was it you were saying? Something about 'wanting to see what that cat-woman could do'?"

_Don't use that tone of voice with me, lard boy! I can just--- _Phibrizzo suddenly put on the brakes, then ducked into a restroom and stuck his head out the door. _Well, hel**lo**. What have we here?_

Down the hall, a woman about Aisha's height was throwing on a gray sweatshirt similar to the one Aisha had. She didn't appear to have noticed the half-mazoku; instead, she was facing away from him.

"Who is that?" Curtis asked. "Can you tell?"

_No, not really. I don't think it's anyone I know, although I can't be sure until I get a closer look. Out of the teachers I have, three of them are female. Out of those three, two of them have builds similar to Miss June's, and they both have brown hair. The third one's about as fat as you, which is really saying something._

"I'm just surprised that everyone's left already," Inuyasha noted as Curtis pretended to look hurt. "You don't think that you were in that lady's office for very long, do you?"

_About ten minutes, plus several minutes dealing with Miss June,_ Phibrizzo said. _Apparently I underestimated how quickly little kids run out of the school. Okay, looks like that lady's putting on some sort of gloves._ He shook his head. _Inuyasha, are your eyes good enough to see this?_

"Yeah, but barely," Inuyasha muttered. He edged close to the front of the chamber. "Some sort of gloves with curved nails stuck in them."

Everyone looked on as the nearby woman opened a cardboard box. She slowly withdrew a long, gray braided wig and placed it over her head, chuckling to herself all the while. Reaching into her purse and taking out a small mirror, she examined her reflection. From what the trio could tell, most of her neck and face had been painted a dark brown; her eyes were blue, as well.

Phibrizzo's eyes narrowed. "Are you guys thinking what I'm thinking?"

"I'm thinking your ears must be pretty sharp," Conan's voice whispered in amazement. "I didn't think you heard us sneak in."

The half-mazoku froze momentarily. _Crud...having **them** around's going to make this harder._ "Guys, what are you doing here?" Phibrizzo hissed, turning just a little. As he did so, he noticed that Conan, Jim, Mitch and Amy were crouched next to him. "And stay out of sight!"

Everyone ducked in. In the split second that Phibrizzo did this, he noticed the woman's head turn sharply. After several seconds had passed, Conan looked back out. "She's gone," he said. "What's going on?"

Phibrizzo frowned. "I could ask you the same thing. I ran after Miss June, but I lost her almost immediately. Shortly after that, I see this woman here trying to make herself _look_ like her. I don't like it."

"Neither do I," Jim mused. "Glad I followed everyone back in here, after all. You think it's flattery, or is she just plain crazy?"

"Hmm...doesn't sound like flattery..." Mitch muttered thoughtfully. "What's going on?"

"Must be the question of the day."

No sooner than he uttered that sarcastic comment, Phibrizzo's ears---and Inuyasha's---were assaulted by an overly annoying ringing noise. He covered his ears as the others did the same, wincing at the volume. "Confound it!" he shouted. "What's that stupid noise?"

"You mean you don't know what a fire alarm is?" Amy asked, a tad curious in spite of the ringing.

"Fire alarm? What?"

Conan shook his head. "Forget about it right now! We need to find those people and get the situation straightened out!"

-----------

Upstairs, the fire alarm had caused a more dire matter. As sharp as Aisha's ears were, the ringing of the fire alarm was unbearable. Her concentration was completely thrown off, and she'd resorted to covering her ears and growling in resentment.

Finally, the fire alarm shut off. Relieved, Aisha lowered her hands and shook her head. "About time," she said, annoyed. "Wonder why it---huh? What? Hey, where'd you go?"

The woman whom she'd rescued was gone!

At the other end of the hall, the mysterious yellow-masked figure stared at the frantic woman for a second before pulling out a cell phone.

-------------

Time: Fifteen minutes

Conan folded his arms, trying not to listen to Phibrizzo's angry grumbling. Fifteen minutes of searching, and they'd neither found Aisha nor the lookalike. The only person they _did_ find was the source of his friend's mood; Sylvia had caught up with them and proceeded to lecture Phibrizzo on obedience.

"But Miss Kaden, he's right!" Amy insisted. "There's this woman here who was trying to look like Miss June!"

"Be that as it may, young lady, you shouldn't have run back in without being told to," Sylvia told her sternly. "Next time---"

"Wait a second," Phibrizzo interrupted. "There's some kind of noise outside..."

"And those would be sirens," Mitch said. He probably didn't believe that Phibrizzo didn't know about police sirens and the like. Of course, Conan was having a hard time believing it himself. "The police have finally showed up."

"Good. Maybe they'll find out why that person was screaming," Sylvia suggested. "It would be nice to have this over with."

The sirens cut themselves off, and a stocky man in a trench coat and hat---Inspector Maguire---ran into the school, followed by several officers. "We got the message," he said. "Someone called and told us that someone screamed, like he or she was attacked."

"Yes," Sylvia said, stepping forward. "A friend of ours went back upstairs to check it out, but it's been almost twenty minutes and she hasn't come back yet. I don't think it's a false alarm."

"Alright then." Maguire turned to two of the officers that had escorted him into the school. "You two go upstairs and search for anyone suspicious. The person we're looking for has brown skin, pointed ears, plus long braided gray hair with a ring at the end. Should be easy to find."

"I hope so," Jim stated worriedly. "I'm getting a bit worried about her."

Maguire glanced at him briefly, then turned to the other two officers. "You two are with me. Let's take a look around down here in the meantime."

"Um, Inspector?" Conan asked meekly. "I'm just curious, but how'd you know what Miss June looked like?"

"The kid who called us got his information from the school principal, Mrs. Valen," Maguire answered gruffly. "She claimed to have met her a few times ever since she took the job. Anyway, I think you and the others should stay back and let us do our work. Okay?"

"Okay. Sure!"

As the officers and inspector split up to search the school, Conan turned to the others. "You know, we should probably wait outside."

"Yes, Conan. That would be most prudent at this point," Phibrizzo's adoptive mother agreed. "Let's go."

The group started to follow Sylvia out the door, each one harboring their own thoughts and opinions of the situation. Without giving any indication that he was doing so, though, Conan slowly backed up a few paces; as soon as everyone else went through the door, he darted down the hall.

His thoughts began racing as he did so. _Amazing. He somehow managed to slip away from everyone without the others noticing! I guess he's concerned for Aisha and the person she was searching for. Let's see if he can figure out the whys and hows of this problem._

------

"If I didn't know better," Curtis remarked as Phibrizzo strolled down the hall at the opposite end of the school, "I'd say you like riding the ragged edge of disaster. You cut that teleportation pretty close."

_It was either letting Conan see it or let everyone else see it,_ Phibrizzo said, checking each room for stray details. _No one else can ever handle what I can do---at least, no one outside of Nerima._ His eyes lit upon a framed picture on the hallway wall. _Well, this is real nice,_ he thought as he moved in for a closer look.

Inuyasha examined the picture intently. The color photo was full of various men and women in business clothes, all of them smiling for the camera. "'1995-1996 Teitan Elementary School Faculty'," he read aloud. "They take these things seriously, don't they?"

"A lot of schools do," Curtis said. "Hey, Phibrizzo. Look over that picture. Does anyone in the photo look anything at all like that imposter we saw earlier?"

Phibrizzo took a few seconds to drink in the details, standing on his toes to see the picture better. _Hmm...both Miss June and the imposter have blue eyes, the same build and the same facial features (except for the skin color). Out of all of the faculty members shown here, only the two I mentioned earlier have the same build. Out of those two, only one of them has the same color eyes and face..._

"_Maria Cliffowski_," the trio said in unison.

Maria Cliffowski was the third teacher for Phibrizzo and Conan's class. Her areas of expertise were the social sciences, basic art, and Japanese writing. She'd been teaching there for about four years, and had announced recently that she'd be switching to another school once the school year ended. As to why, no one really knew.

"What are you looking at, Phibrizzo?"

An annoyed Phibrizzo growled to himself as he turned to face George...and the woman next to him. "Why is it that everyone around here has to startle me when I'm focused on something?" he grumbled.

"You looked interested in the photo, so we didn't want to bother you at first," the woman said, smiling. "But there's a criminal somewhere in the building. It's not safe to be here anymore."

"That's nice," Phibrizzo replied, not amused at either the woman's implied suggestion or her choice of attire. She had a bright yellow business suit, had turquoise eyes and blonde hair, was wearing earrings made to resemble lemon slices, and was even carrying a bright umbrella. Needlessly yellow, in his own opinion. "Who are you?"

"My, aren't we a bit grouchy today," the woman huffed. "I'm Mrs. Valen, the school principal. And you are...?"

"Phibrizzo Kaden. And you've already met George."

Mrs. Valen laughed a bit; inside Phibrizzo's mind, Curtis cringed at the noise. "Real nice kid. Knows how to be respectable, too; he let me fill in the details regarding that girl that's been missing."

"So you know about her too." Phibrizzo turned back to stare at the staff photograph. "Talk about a small world."

"Well, like I said, it's not safe to be here anymore. You should join your friends outside, you two."

"She's right, Phibrizzo," George told him. "What'll happen if the criminal finds us?"

_Then he's going to regret crossing paths with me._ "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. I'll leave when I choose to leave." He smirked. "The bad guy won't get me. I can promise that without a doubt in my mind."

"Confident little bugger," Mrs. Valen told herself aloud. "Well, it's your choice, but I still think you should get going. For your own safety." She turned and started to walk away, George trailing behind her. "Take care, now."

"I'll catch up with you later, George," Phibrizzo said, waving half-heartedly. "Unless they ask about me, don't tell the others I'm still in here. I hate causing undue worry."

George turned his head enough to see him. "Um, alright. You sure you know what you're doing?"

"Heh. Of course."

As the others disappeared around the corner, Phibrizzo turned and walked in the opposite direction. Checking to see if anyone was watching, he removed his bracelet and wristband. _Inuyasha, do you remember what Mrs. Cliffowski smells like?_

"A bit like paint and ink...there's usually a twinge of that perfume stuff, too."

_Mind checking to see if you can track her down? I can't afford to show off my abilities to everyone, but that hasn't stopped **you** yet._

"Sure thing. Whenever you're ready."

Phibrizzo stuffed the two items into subspace, focused his energy, and teleported into the restroom they were hiding in earlier. In doing so they bypassed Inspector Maguire and his two officers, who were still searching for Aisha on the first floor.

-----------

They didn't know this at the time, but they'd also managed to avoid Conan; the kid detective was occupied at the time of the teleportation, talking to Mrs. Valen and George. After the principal suggested that Conan find Phibrizzo and get him out, the duo left him him to his own devices.

_They let me off easy...come to think of it, that's the weirdest principal I've ever known. It's not just her fondness for yellow that gets me; but she seems overly confident about life. Maybe...just a bit **too** confident._

Conan walked around the corner and continued on, not knowing that Phibrizzo had been here earlier. Down at the end of the hall was another classroom, this one used by some of the fifth-grade students. _That Jim Hawking person probably used that classroom earlier._

As he got closer, though, he noticed that the door was slightly ajar. _Now that's sloppy. Whoever left this class forgot to shut and lock the door! Wonder what kind of idiot the last teacher here was to do that! Hmm..._

Letting curiousity overcome him, he peaked into the classroom...and gasped.

Desks were scattered all over the place, and a few were broken. Chairs were upended. Several windows were shattered, with most of the glass probably on the outside. A multitude of colors---probably paint from where the supplies were kept---decorated most of the interior. The desk where the teacher typically sat was overturned, and all the drawers were emptied out. There were scratch marks on everything in the room, which didn't number to anything besides the new floor layout. Lastly, a message was written across the board: "Your nightmare has arrived! Dawn of the tiger!"

Conan overcame his shock at the initial sight, entering to take a closer look at the scene. The desks that were broken didn't look like they were in that state due to brute force. _It's more like they were sawed off; a few of the edges are jagged._

A closer look at the windows revealed that most of the glass was indeed on the outside of the building; this meant that they were broken from the inside. The abundant marks on everything didn't look like they were made with any sort of claws. Using claws would leave long and wide scratches, judging by Aisha's fingernails; these marks just looked too narrow. Regular nails or thumbtacks seemed more likely.

After sipping some water from a nearby fountain, he ran off to find Inspector Maguire. _This isn't good at all! It doesn't seem that likely for the real Aisha to do it; that imposter had to have been behind this! After I tell Maguire about this, I need to find that lookalike!_

------------

While the inspector and the two officers were investigating the rooms at the opposite side of the entrance, Maguire's radio buzzed. The portly man reached into a coat pocket, pulled it out, and switched it on. "Maguire here."

"We've found Aisha June, sir," one of his officers told him over the radio. "She's upstairs, ranting about a yellow-masked crook that kidnapped someone she knew. For someone reason, she wouldn't let anyone else get near her."

"_Kidnapped?_" _Guess coming here wasn't a waste of time after all!_

"Yes, Inspector. Apparently the one who was kidnapped was the source of the scream that was heard."

Before Maguire could comment on this, Conan's shout cut him off. "Inspector Maguire! Come quick! Someone just rampaged through one of the classrooms down the hall!"

"What? Show me!"

A minute later, Maguire found himself agreeing with Conan's description of the room: someone had indeed "rampaged" through here. Judging from the description of Aisha June, he guessed that perhaps she had done this. _The principal did say that her strength was unreal, after all..._

"Um, Inspector?" Conan piped up, getting Maguire's attention.

"What is it?"

"Earlier, my friends and I saw this woman putting on these nail-tipped gloves and putting this large gray wig on her head. I don't know why, but I think maybe she could've done this."

Maguire wasn't too sure what to think; here a kid was actually trying to suggest something to him that didn't fall into place with what he had learned about the situation. On the other hand, he'd seen the kid---Conan---with Richard Moore a few times. It was too early to tell how things would work out, but it seemed that he had a good head on his shoulders. He hoped so, anyway; Richard was a real case himself, and dealing with him everyday would probably make things hard.

Finally, Maguire made his decision. After telling the officers over the radio to get the entire group of people indoors, he switched off the radio. "Alright, then. What do you think happened?"

------------

Before the trio had gone to school that day, Curtis had suggested that they stick Phibrizzo's main set of clothes in subspace in case they needed it. At first, the half-mazoku had scoffed at the idea; but he'd had at last agreed to keep it on hand. That decision was starting to pay off.

Immediately after teleporting over to the restroom, Phibrizzo had hurriedly made the change from modern schoolboy to medieval mini-monster. After storing his school clothes and backpack in subspace, he let Inuyasha initiate a Switch. Seconds later, the hanyou's nose caught the scent of paint, ink, and perfume. This set him off down the hall and up the stairs at full tilt, and he blew right past the other police officers without them knowing that he'd done so.

----------

Aisha kept her eyes focused on the two people who stood in front of the library door, growling deep in her throat. Of all the nerve, kidnapping someone on her watch! In addition, they both had managed to sneak around the school without anyone realizing what they were up to!

Her options were limited, though; both people were keeping the other woman locked in the library. The one with the yellow mask and the baseball bat was standing guard on the outside, and the other person---the one who tried to look like her---was on the inside. If she tried taking them on at once, she'd have to risk the health of their hostage; the lookalike was armed with a knife, and the door was jammed from the inside anyway. She couldn't run downstairs for help; that was the same as giving up as far as she was concerned, and it would only cause trouble for others. Besides, enough people knew who she was.

It bothered her, though: how did these two know who she was and how to find them both? Maybe someone held a grudge and decided to act on it. Either way, just sitting on the floor and glaring at everything was getting old fast.

"Pssst."

Aisha's ears twitched.

"Psst! Hey! Back here!"

Grumbling to herself, Aisha got up and turned the corner. As she did so, she heard the yellow-masked person shout: "Hey, freak! You better not be going back down there! Giving yourself up's the only way to save that woman!"

"Put a cork in it," Aisha snarled over her shoulder. "I ain't leaving!"

With that little spat over with for now, Aisha walked about six paces forward...and facing the oddest person she'd ever seen outside herself. "Whoa," she whispered. "_You're_ really out of date."

The boy brushed some of his white hair out of his eyes. "Feh. You want a chance at those people, or don't you?" he asked quietly, annoyed.

Aisha smirked. "Do I! You got any ideas?"

"I have one," the boy said, his eyes gleaming. "Distract that jerk in the mask. I'll circle around the floor and hammer him while he's busy."

"What about the person inside?" Aisha asked worriedly, making sure her voice was kept down. "She'll hear the commotion."

Acting unconcerned, the boy flexed the fingers on his right hand. "That's the idea. Watch me. Got it, cat?"

_It's probably me, but there's something about him that reminds me of the neighbor's dog._ "Okay, I can do that..."

"Great. Get going so _I_ can."

Aisha slowly nodded and turned away, walking around the corner and into view of Mr. Yellow Mask. As she did this, she heard the boy's footsteps fading _fast_. Smiling as wide as she could, she leaned against the wall and stared straight into the mask's eyes.

This got the response she was hoping for. "Hey, what are you looking at?" the man asked angrily.

"Your face," Aisha taunted. "It's so ugly! No wonder you needed a mask to hide it!"

"Watch your mouth," the man shot back, stepping forward and brandishing the baseball bat he had earlier. "I can tell my friend in there to attack that woman at any time."

"Why don't you watch _yours_ while you still can?" Aisha retorted. "This is the last chance you're gonna get!"

"What do you mean, last cha---"

The man didn't get a chance to say anything else. Quick as a bullet, the boy that Aisha had just met barrelled into him with a shoulder ram. The man lost his grip on the bat, flying straight into the wall. It wasn't hard enough to cause any cracks, but he would still be unconscious for a bit.

For a second, a stunned Aisha could do nothing more than blink. _Man, if I could go as fast as that..._

The boy recovered his balance, staring at the doorway. "Stand back," he warned. Not sure what he was going to do, Aisha nodded and hoped for the best. What else could he do?

Flexing his fingers, the boy stepped back a few paces before making his charge. "_Iron Reaver!"_ he shouted, swiping downwards at the library door and breaking it---as well as the two brooms that kept the door jammed---into a dozen seperate pieces. Hurriedly, he turned and snapped: "Alright, cat. It's your turn!"

Delighted at the turn of events, Aisha smiled eerily. Rushing forward, she brushed past the boy and tackled the lookalike before she could react. Taking advantage of her strength, she pried loose the knife and tossed it out the door. After confirming that the boy destroyed that as well, she pinned the lookalike's arms and legs to the floor.

The co-kidnapper glared at Aisha, struggling uselessly against her strength. "I should've known that you'd try to rescue that woman regardless of what happened, freak."

"You're one to talk," the boy growled from the destroyed doorway. There was a sound like metal scraping against metal, followed by a deep hissing. "You go and kidnap someone for whatever reason, and you're calling her a freak? That's awfully twisted of you...Miss Cliffowski."

The woman's eyes widened. Aisha's own eyes did the same as her mouth fell open in shock...not just over the size of the kid's sword, but that he knew what her identity was. "How'd you know?" they both asked.

"Oh, please," the boy said, smirking. Despite the sword's size, it didn't even waver as he stepped farther into the room. "I saw the picture of the school staff, and you're the only one in there that looks a lot like this giant cat. Everyone else is either too skinny, too fat, has different eyes, yada yada yada; and thanks in part to a smartmouth brat, I now know who you are. This attempt may have fooled some people, but it didn't fool me." He frowned. "What I want to know is _why_ you held that other person hostage just to get her. Tell me what's going on."

"Even if I tell you," Maria Cliffowski spat as she tried to break free from Aisha's grip, "there's no way the police'll believe a bizarre kid like you."

"This _kid_ just ripped apart a door with his bare hands and---" Aisha started to protest, but interrupted herself. _White hair, medieval clothes, large sword...I thought that was just something that someone at the TV station made up!_

"The words of myself, the cat and the captive, and the evidence you're wearing is more than enough to convict you," the boy warned. He waited until Maria settled back before narrowing his eyes. "Now, start talking."

-----

Time: Six minutes later

Location: Outside the school

"...so basically," Conan said to Inspector Maguire, "someone dressed up as Miss June to try to frame her for vandalizing a classroom and kidnapping one of the teachers. That fire alarm that went off was so noisy that ears like those of Aisha's wouldn't be able to handle it, so they used it to distract her while the actual kidnapping took place."

He, Sylvia Kaden, George, Mitch, Amy, Jim Hawking, the principal Mrs. Valen, Inspector Maguire, and his officers were standing just outside the front doors. For the last few minutes, Conan had explained what he saw in the wrecked room, listened to what Inspector Maguire told him, and started connecting facts together.

He was able to determine why the fire alarm was set off and figure out who had actually vandalized the room. Instead of looking at the faculty picture, he instead drew upon his memories of the teachers he'd had or seen since he first arrived not long ago; it hadn't taken long to deduce the one behind the scheme.

Conan's analysis was interrupted by Mrs. Valen. The junior detective noticed that her frown seemed foreign to her. "You know, sweetie...as much as I'm impressed by your intelligence, there are still several questions that haven't been answered yet. Who was that other guy in the mask, for instance?"

"Yeah, and why was there even a kidnapping to begin with?" Jim asked. "Couldn't have been a coincidence."

"The only way we'll be able to know for sure is to rescue the hostage and arrest those two people," Maguire said. "Okay, men---"

"Hey, people! You looking for these guys?" a brash voice cut in.

As everyone looked around for the source of the voice, two bound individuals were lowered to the ground via a rope. They were followed shortly by a large paper sack, which collapsed on the ground and spilled its contents.

Since Conan's three friends were the closest to the sack when it fell, they were the first to investigate what fell out. Mitch pulled out several items. "Hey, there's a paintbrush and a tube of brown paint in here!"

George pulled out a long, gray wig and a few ear plugs. "Yeah, and this wig! It's _huge_!"

Amy retrieved the remaining items, a pair of nail-tipped gloves and a gray sweatshirt. "And these gloves...they have these nails sticking out the fingers."

Jim and Conan stepped closer to see, as did the others. It was the former who retrieved the last few items from the sack: several photographs. The first was a photo of a gleeful Aisha. The second was a picture of the assumed culprit, Maria Cliffowski; the wig and the gloves had been removed. The third was Aisha crouching near the captured teacher; she was pointing at herself and Maria with a quizzical expression, as if to say: "Do you really think that's _me_?"

"Glad that Aisha's friend had one of those camera things with her," the same voice mused aloud. "It would've been a bit harder to prove Aisha's innocence without it."

Sylvia finally noticed who was talking. "Everyone," she said, facing upwards with no small amount of trepidation, "you may want to see this..."

**(BGM --- Dr. Wily's Fortress #1, from "Megaman 7")**

Everyone followed her gaze, looking up towards several second story windows. At one open window stood Aisha alongside an ebony-haired older woman; from Conan's viewpoint, neither of them seemed any the worse for wear. Both of them were smiling happily.

Conan's attention, though, became drawn to the figure at the next window. His mind drifted back to the newscast he saw that night, and he reminded himself that words didn't do the person justice. _There's no doubt who that is. A kid with white hair, ancient clothes and a sword..._

"Hey, kid! What are you doing up there?" Maguire shouted at him.

"What's it look like?" the kid shouted back, smiling confidently. "I'm delivering you some criminals in person!"

"No way," Jim gasped, shocked. "It's that guy from the news! That's Inuyasha!"

"Wait a second! I thought he only showed up at night!" George exclaimed in wonder.

Mrs. Valen agreed. "He must be pulling some mean hours. Does he even go to school, or does someone home-school him?"

To the shock of everyone there, Inuyasha unsheathed his sword (_Great. Now **he's** starting to defy the laws of physics too,_ Conan thought in disbelief) and pointed the massive blade at the two captured criminals. "The brat down there's right, people. The woman with the wig and fake claws was responsible for this whole thing. I think the school principal there recognizes the jerk without the mask."

Mrs. Valen turned from Inuyasha to see the first of the captives. He had a somewhat-rounded face, although his nose and eyes were narrow. The principal's grin returned with reinforcements. "Ha-ha-ha! Who'd have thought the school librarian had it in him? Serves him right!"

Conan's eye twitched. _How'd a lady like her get to be principal, anyway?_

"That Cliffowski lady and the librarian have something in common: they seriously dislike the cat and her family," Inuyasha explained, lowering the sword but not sheathing it. "While Cliffowski was rummaging around in the library recently, this other guy overheard her talking about them. They decided to come up with a plan to do away with the cat's mother and turn Aisha loose on society at the same time."

"So that woman next to Miss June is her mother?" Maguire asked.

"You got it," Inuyasha said, smirking a bit. "Mrs. Robin June. She teaches at the schools sometimes to earn some extra money."

The woman waved. "Pleasure to meet you," she said good-naturedly, an odd American Western accent in her voice. "Sorry to be the cause of so much trouble."

"Aisha! Mrs. June!" Jim shouted. "Are you both okay?"

"What do _you_ think?" Aisha said. "Of _course_ we're okay, kiddo!"

Jim seemed satisfied with this, although Conan was sure he heard him mumble: "I just wish she wouldn't call me a kid..." He shrugged, waiting for the rest of Inuyasha's explanation.

He didn't have to wait long. "This is how the plan was supposed to work. Mrs. June had come in today to teach a few classes in place of someone else, who was probably sick or something. While she was on her lunch break, Maria Cliffowski snuck off to her car and brought in the components for their disguises. She'd made the yellow mask for the librarian yesterday, and had brought the paint, wig, gloves, and sweater from home.

"After most of the kids---with the exception of you guys---had gone, Cliffowski put on the disguise and sent a signal to the librarian saying she was all set. Following that, she applied some ear plugs and set off the fire alarm on her way to Hawking's classroom; she switched it back off when she was told of the successful kidnapping.

"Over the course of about ten minutes, she did all the damage to the room and emptied the desk drawers to boot. She broke the windows and escaped to put the stuff in her car, then jumped back in and went upstairs to help guard Mrs. June."

"What about the kidnapping?" Sylvia asked. "Why did that take place?"

Inuyasha stopped smiling. "They wanted Aisha to lie, saying that she had done all that damage and stolen those things from the classroom. They knew how much Mrs. June cared about her, so they figured that if Aisha was arrested and put in jail for whatever reason, it would make her sad to no end. The kidnapping was done as incentive. Amazing...they went through this just because they thought of them as freaks." He shook his head.

Everyone on the ground glared angrily at the two kidnappers, who had been fully conscious the whole time. "If you have anything to say, don't say it at all," Maguire declared. "Cuff 'em!"

Before Maguire's officers could make a move, though, Cliffowski and the librarian burst free. They brandished the knives that they'd used to cut the ropes, glaring threateningly at Conan and the other kids. "Stay back, all of you!" Cliffowski snapped. "You people aren't safe yet, not with _her_ around!"

Out the corner of his eye, Conan saw Inuyasha jumping out the window and landing safely on the ground. _Whatever he does, I hope he does quickly!_

"Ha, ha, ha, ha!"

Conan's head jerked towards Mrs. Valen; the woman was laughing again. She opened up her umbrella and sheltered her head with it. "You people sure are funny. What was that supposed to be, a warning?"

"Mrs. Valen---!" everyone except Robin June shouted, each having varying degrees of worry. The substitute teacher, though, just looked on with a knowing smile.

"Oh, calm down," Valen reassured them. "If these losers think they can get away with being discriminatory and attacking one of us, they've got another think coming." She closed her umbrella and lowered it. "In fact, I've got their think right here!"

Several heads sprouted sweatdrops. The two would-be kidnappers glared at her. "Why, you---!" the librarian shouted. _"That's it!"_ Without further warning, he broke into a dash aimed straight at Valen.

He never got there. The principal quickly ducked down low and swung the umbrella at his ankles, knocking him off his feet. Before Cliffowski could attempt an attack in response, Inuyasha exploded from where he was standing and purposely collided into her, sending her tumbling straight into the fallen librarian. In less than seven seconds, both would-be criminals were piled on the walkway, dazed.

Conan stared in wonder at Inuyasha, who stood up and stretched a bit. _That speed's unreal! How did he manage to get that fast?_

The rest of the crowd looked on, amazed. "Well," Mitch uttered in a stunned deadpan, "at least now we know how he catches the bad guys."

"Yeah," Amy added, sounding just as surprised, "but I don't think he's anything like the Masked Yaiba."

Maguire recovered from his surprise quickly. "That'll make things easier," he told his officers as they did the same. "Come on. Let's take those two downtown."

There was a thumping noise from a few meters away. As Conan and Jim looked over, Aisha stood up from her landing and allowed her mother to climb off. "Well, that always helps," Aisha remarked, "but I think you can close your mouths now."

For a moment, the grounds were silent as Maguire and his officers 'cuffed Cliffowski and the librarian and stowed them away in their cars. Finally, Conan and the other kids began clamoring. "That was terrific!" "Man, talk about reflexes!" "Inuyasha, or Mrs. Valen?" "Both of 'em!"

---------

Sylvia let her eyes settle on Inuyasha as the others were chattering. "Excuse me, Inuyasha?" she asked. "Have you seen my son anywhere? About your height, has black hair and a multi-piece bracelet?"

Inuyasha nodded. "Yeah. The kid's got quite a mouth, but if it weren't for him I wouldn't have known what I was getting into. Thanks to him, I discovered what I had to know if I wanted to capture those losers." He looked thoughtful for a bit, although Sylvia was suspicious that he was just pretending. "He should be somewhere on the school grounds."

_Never hurts to make sure._ "Okay. Thank you for everything you've done," Sylvia said, smiling.

"Eh, no big deal," Inuyasha said, looking a twinge embarassed. "I'm just doing what I like doing. I have stuff to do and places to see, though, so I'm gonna have to get going."

The kids stopped conversing amongst themselves. "Aw, man. Do you have to?" George asked, sounding eager to learn more about him.

"Yeah. Afraid so. Got things to do, like I said. You guys were a bit of a help, so I guess I owe you guys one too."

Robin smiled at him. "And thank you for helping Aisha and I. We won't forget this."

"It's not like you were in any trouble though, mom," Aisha said. "You were just restricted to the library, that's all."

"In any case, I learned more about life in Europe during the Dark Ages," Robin could be heard saying. "The next time I teach world history somewhere, that should come in handy."

Aisha sweatdropped. "Yeah, in more ways than one," she mumbled.

-----------

Time: Ten minutes later

Place: Mrs. Valen's office, Teitan Elementary

After things calmed down, everyone had slowly dispersed. Maguire and his officers took Cliffowski and the librarian to the police station. The Junes and Conan went with them so that the inspector could file a report. George, Mitch, and Amy had gone home, and Jim had departed for the auto repair shop he worked at. That left only Sylvia and Inuyasha, who were asked by Mrs. Valen to follow them to her office.

"Thank you for staying for a few moments," the principal was saying. "There was something I wanted to ask the two of you."

"Sure," Inuyasha said. "I guess I have a few moments to spare."

Mrs. Valen nodded, smiling ("Again with the smile!" Inuyasha heard Phibrizzo mutter). "Mrs. Kaden, I overheard you muttering about your adopted son a few minutes ago. I just thought I'd suggest that you not be so hard on young Phibrizzo."

Sylvia tapped her fingers together. "I'm just worried about him, Mrs. Valen. I know I see him with good friends, but his behavior still concerns me."

"Mrs. Kaden, I know I only saw him for a minute, but what I saw was a tough-as-nails kid with a chance to do a lot of good...not just in school, but in life too." The principal clasped her hands under her chin. "I'm just saying to care about him all you want. Just be careful not to smother him, or you'll be smothering his own strengths."

"Sage advice," Phibrizzo intoned at the back of Inuyasha's burrowed mind.

Sylvia thought about this for a few seconds. "I'll...try to remember that."

Mrs. Valen then turned to Inuyasha. "If I heard you right, you said you had places to go," she said. "Does this mean that you're a traveler?"

Inuyasha had to think of a quick answer. "Sort of. My patrols are limited to Tokyo as a whole, not counting Ueno. I haven't been there yet."

"Hopefully, that shouldn't be a problem." The principal opened up a desk drawer and took out an envelope. The envelope was partially open, but not enough for Inuyasha to see its contents. "My nephew's a traveling martial artist, and he picks up some souvenirs now and again. Recently he sent me a pamphlet describing a city he came to, but I'm not really interested in going there until summer rolls around."

"So, is there something you want me to do?" Inuyasha asked.

"It's a bit of a favor, I'll admit. Could you try to return this pamphlet to him? If you aren't able to by the start of next week, you can either keep it or give it to someone else."

"Okay." Inuyasha accepted the envelope and stuck it in the small shawl wrapped around his waist. "What's his name?"

"He has dark hair, wears a bandanna, and carries an umbrella around like I do. Name's Ryoga Hibiki...um, why are you giving me that owl-eyed stare?"

"Ryoga Hibiki?" Inuyasha asked in a deadpan. "Easily depressed, is nearly always lost? Are we talking about the same guy?"

Mrs. Valen let loose a laugh. "Sounds like you've met him! Great. That'll make it easier."

_Yeah, right, _Inuyasha, Curtis, and Phibrizzo thought in unison. "I'll do what I can," the former said, "but I can't promise anything." He stood up, followed a second later by Sylvia. "That everything?"

Valen nodded. "Yes. And thanks for everything you've done here today."

----------

As soon as the two of them exited the building, Inuyasha turned to Sylvia. "See ya around," he said amiably. "And stick around for a minute. Your son should be coming out shortly."

"Okay, then," Sylvia answered after a second's thought. "You take care."

Nodding, Inuyasha started a mad dash that took him off the grounds and down the block. As soon as he felt he'd gone far enough, he ducked into an alley and made a Switch.

--------

As soon as Phibrizzo regained control, he teleported back to the restroom inside the school and changed back to his newer clothes. True to Inuyasha's word, Phibrizzo rejoined his adoptive mother a minute later and walked with her home. When asked where he'd been, he said that he'd decided to lay low; this was true, actually.

As per his usual habits, Phibrizzo went straight to his room after he got home and shut the door behind him. Discarding his schoolbag, he stretched out on his bed and took out the pamphlet that he'd stashed inside subspace seconds after regaining control. Opening it up, he read it to himself silently.

Curtis and Inuyasha read the pamphlet to themselves, too. They each had their own thoughts about what they saw in there, but Phibrizzo could tell that they'd silently decided to keep their statements to themselves.

Meanwhile, his thoughts were going at it again; he kept them quiet so that his two "parasites" wouldn't hear him. _Life around here refuses to stay calm, and information is pouring in faster than I can hope to understand it. New questions arise to replace the ones that are answered. Why am I beginning to lose my hatred for the human race? Is friendship really all its cracked up to be? Can I keep myself in control without redefining what my own life means to me?_ He emitted a quiet sigh. _One way or another, I suspect I'll be finding the answers to my questions sooner than I want to think. That's what I'm afraid of._

His thoughts were interrupted as something warm settled onto his back. Looking back over his shoulder, Phibrizzo saw that French Vanilla had appeared and was sitting on his back (_Must've been hiding in here, _he thought). The cat repeatedly pressed her front paws against his back before settling in, purring.

Phibrizzo stared at her irritably for a moment before slipping the pamphlet and envelope back in subspace. Smiling just a bit, he laid his chin on his hands and relaxed. _Okay, so maybe cats aren't that bad._

"I wouldn't know," Inuyasha remarked. "I haven't had too many good experiences with cats."

_I was talking to myself, not to you._

"Then why'd you let us hear it?"

_Don't ruin my mood, ramen breath._

--------

As the two bickered, Curtis went over in his mind what city the pamphlet had explained. It seemed like a typical city with typical tourist attractions...to most people. However, when he woke up in his real home shortly afterward, it reminded him that he wasn't from the world that Phibrizzo and Inuyasha currently resided in; it was merely a continuous dream. He figured that's how it always would be...hopefully.

Tiredly, he forced his body---which was still dealing with a flu, heavy loss of appetite, and an unwanted disease---to get up and get ready for school. As he did so, he tried to remember exactly what he had seen.

Before he left an hour later, two things were etched in his memory. The first was a caricature of a turtle with cannons sticking out of it's shell. The second was the final sentence printed inside the pamphlet:

"We promise you won't be disappointed with Cerulean City!"

----------

_Chapter Six concluded. Chapter Seven soon to commence_

Author's Notes

You can probably tell, but I can't write mysteries very well. I'll only write them if they'll be important in some way to the plot, if it means anything.

Phibrizzo's half-human, but he's also half-mazoku. He'll be able to take heavy damage and recover fairly quickly, so falling down the stairs isn't really dangerous to him...just irritating.

This chapter showed us who Aisha's friend from the auto repair shop was: Jim Hawking, from _Outlaw Star_. Need I say more?

Robin June (Nico Robin, a la _One Piece_) and Mrs. Valen (Miss Valentine, also from _One Piece_) also debut. I don't know if I overexaggerated the latter's annoying qualities or not (she _was_ really annoying, FYI), but for the time being I'll just leave her be. Both of these will be, for the most part, minor characters for now.

What is that thing Phibrizzo wears around his waist in _Slayers Next_? That's been bothering me for a while.

Ah, yes...you can probably tell by the chapter's closing what I'm planning to do soon. As to exactly what, well...it's a Xellos quote. That's all I can say. Heh, heh.


	14. Chapter Seven

WHAT INSERTION?

by Curtis Wildcat

_Chapter Seven _--- Short on Fuel

--------

**(Cue theme)**

--------

Time: Late evening, one day after Chapter Six

Place: Unknown location

The incessant ringing of a telephone woke the room's lone occupant out of a sound sleep. Grumpily, she reached over and picked up the phone. "What is it? I was trying to sleep!"

"I know you were asleep, but I have a mission for you. This can't wait."

The other person's no-nonsense voice brought the figure to a full alert. "What is it about? Sounds urgent."

"I've just received a report. Subject 0452 has escaped from its confinements."

The figure's eyes narrowed. "The tester for the 10x Charger? I thought the scientists had that thing under control."

"They underestimated the power that the prototype Charger gave 0452. The laboratory is heavily damaged, and the subject was last seen speeding across the Sea of Japan."

The figure had believed earlier that experimenting with such a device would be disasterous, and now it was looking like her hunch was correct. "So, what do you want me to do?"

"I need you to track the subject to wherever its heading and retrieve it. Even with its abilities enhanced, it will have to rest eventually. Use everything at your disposal to recapture it and bring it back."

"Understood," the figure said. "Over and out."

--------------

Time: The following afternoon

Place: Tendo dojo, on the roof

Phibrizzo sat silently on the roof, watching the sky and the landscape. Sooner or later, Ryoga would be passing through here; and until then, he was going to wait right there on the roof. The sooner he got rid of the pamphlet, the better. Besides, the lost boy almost always homed in on Ranma at some point.

Ever since Phibrizzo had arrived this morning, clouds had been gathering on the horizon. Lunch had come and gone, and now the clouds covered more than half the sky. He tensed momentarily. "Crud," he snarled. "I hate rain. Reminds me too much of Deep Sea Dolphin."

"Something I've been wondering," Curtis said, fooling around with something in his chamber. "Did you really have siblings, or is that just a figure of speech?"

"Well...yes and no," the former dark lord muttered hesitantly. "We didn't have parents the way you guys do. Since the five of us were formed at the same time, though, we may as well have been brothers and sisters. A few dragons and humans began calling us that, and after a while it just stuck."

"And what's with this Dolphin character?" Inuyasha asked, sitting against a wall. "She pick on you or something?"

Phibrizzo grimaced. "What are you insinuating?"

"Hey, I was just asking."

"Some questions are better left unasked..." Phibrizzo's voice trailed off as he watched Curtis work. "What are you doing in there, family-size?"

"You mentioned something a week ago about having some extra abilities in addition to the ones you had before." Curtis didn't slow down. "I'm trying to see if I can find out what they are, maybe even unleash them."

"You just find out what they are and leave it to me from there," Phibrizzo growled quietly. "I don't want you messing with them."

Curtis hesitated, then slowed down his activity a little. "Well, alright. If you insist."

"Of _course_ I---hey, someone's coming."

A young woman who didn't look to be much taller than Akane slowly walked into view. She had blonde hair done into curls at the end, and was wearing a cap and a large pack. Most of her attire was meant for winter weather...smart considering it was near forty-five degrees. She was carrying some sort of odd device in her hand, and she was talking to herself. "So, it came through here and stopped to sleep somewhere. No wonder I'm making good time on this---"

"Excuse me, miss!" Phibrizzo called out, catching the woman's attention. "Would you have happened to see a dark-haired martial artist with a bandanna anywhere around here?"

The woman blinked, then shook her head. "Can't say I have," she said loud enough for the trio to hear. "What are you doing up there? Shouldn't you be down here?"

"Why? I like it up here."

She sighed, annoyed. "Well, whatever. Just be careful," she said, walking away.

"You too," Phibrizzo said, waving. "See you."

The woman waved over her shoulder, then continued on. The three of them continued to watch. "You know," Curtis murmured, "she looks kinda familiar."

Phibrizzo growled to himself, laying back against the roof. _Each time you say something like that, we wind up meeting a person associated with your world's entertainment. Let's just leave things as is and ignore her. We have a martial artist to wait for._

Curtis nodded, then hesitantly continued what he was doing.

"So, who do you think she is?" Inuyasha inquired.

"I have a rather vague idea," Curtis said. After a minute, though, it was clear he was leaving that statement unfinished. He chose instead to start a new one. "You hear anything?"

"Outside of another one of Ranma and Akane's arguments, nothing," Inuyasha said, saying it as if it were nothing unusual...which, in Nerima, it wasn't. "Besides that---"

One cry was clearly heard by all of them. _"Ranma, you idiot!"_ The noise of Akane bringing her mallet to bear followed, followed a split second later by Ranma crashing through the ceiling...directly where Phibrizzo was sitting. _What---?_

That was all he had time to think before he was forcibly hurled in a skyward arc.

----------

As she went on down the road, tracking down subject 0452, she heard a loud crash from back at that dojo she walked by. As she looked up, she saw two figures flying overhead. The smaller one---the boy she talked to briefly---was yelling: **"Akane Tendo, your aim is just incorrigible!"**

_I don't want to know,_ she told herself. _I don't want to know. I don't want to_---_hmm. Hello, what have we here?_ She double-checked the tracker. _Great. It's nearby. Not much longer now!_

---------

As the two soared through the air, Phibrizzo---who was wincing at the short-lived pain that Ranma's impact had caused---turned to watch the martial artist. "So," he asked, "what's _your_ story?"

"Lousy tomboy had the nerve to whallop me when all I was doing was giving her a compliment," Ranma grumbled.

"Why? What did you say?"

"Kasumi told me to think positive about Akane. So I told her, 'For an unbalanced gorilla, your skills have actually gotten better.'"

Phibrizzo shook his head. "Too brutally honest, and too insensitive. It's called 'tact', Saotome."

"Do _you_ have any bright ideas, then?" Ranma asked indignantly.

"For once, I can't say that I do," Phibrizzo said sadly. He quickly glanced downward. "Appointment with the ground. Looks like it's outside the Nekohanten." _I hope that noisy girl's not in there._

"_Just what I needed!"_ Ranma yelled as he descended.

"If you don't act fast, Phibby, you'll find out what---" Curtis looked up at a monitor, and his eyes widened. "Hey, I think I found something! _Phibrizzo!_"

The knowledge of an almost long-forgotten ability came rushing back. Tensing himself, Phibrizzo reached out and grabbed the edge of the Nekohanten's roof an instant before he could land on top of Ranma. He almost broke off part of the roof in the process, but he was still able to stop his fall.

The half-mazoku shook his head in relief. _Man, that was close,_ he thought, letting go and dropping to the ground safely.

"Phibrizzo?" Curtis asked as Ranma groggily pulled himself out of his crater and wandered off down the street.

_Yeah, Curtis?_

"I don't get it. You were two meters away from the roof's edge. How were you able to get hold of it?"

Phibrizzo tried to think of a way to explain it. _Well, with my half-mazoku and half-human makeup, I---_

"Aiyah! Something happened here?" a familiar Amazon's voice interrupted him. "Oh, it small boy!"

Grumbling to himself, Phibrizzo turned to Shampoo; the girl was standing just outside the restaurant, holding a carton of ramen in one hand and a bonborri in another. "Yeah, 'it small boy'," he said. "I was the victim of a flying projectile."

Shampoo thought about this for a moment. "Violent girl took mallet to airen?"

"Got it in one," Phibrizzo growled. "I was sitting on the roof at the time, right where Ranma broke through. Now I know what it's like to be a baseball."

Shampoo nodded. "Where airen go now?"

Phibrizzo jerked a thumb down the street. "Went that way, noisy girl."

The girl glared at him for a second before taking off down the street. "Deal with small boy later. Airen, wait for Shampoo!"

Phibrizzo stared after her as she ran off, then shook his head before sitting against the Nekohanten. _I really loathe that woman._

After a minute or two, a distant roar jerked him into full awareness. Getting up and walking into the middle of the street, he tried to see where the noise had come from. _Did you guys hear that?_

"I heard _something_, but I won't know what it is until I see it," Inuyasha remarked. "Man, it's _fast!_" He sniffed the air. "It smells a bit like...well, almost like fire. There's some dog in that scent, too."

"That's not good," Curtis groaned. "It means we have a big problem on our hands. Where in the world did a fire dog come from?"

_Now's not the time to wonder about those things,_ Phibrizzo said, squinting at something. _Incoming!_

Phibrizzo tensed himself to jump out of the way, but he didn't need to. Somehow, the speeding creature managed to come to a complete stop without any difficulty. The massive dog-like animal stared into his eyes for a few seconds, then growled deeply as it's own eyes---and the strange collar around its neck---glowed a bright blue.

"Forget what I said," Curtis said quietly, his eyes widening a little. "We have more than a big problem on our hands. That's an Arcanine!"

"_A what?_" Inuyasha and Phibrizzo asked in unison, not liking how the creature was staring unnaturally at them.

"Tell you later. Just be careful! Got it?"

Phibrizzo nodded. _It's time to test my abilities. You guys just sit back and watch._

---------

Admittedly, she was surprised to find the missing Subject 0452---an Arcanine---standing right out in the open and staring at the kid she'd met earlier. She was even more surprised when the kid tensed his muscles and prepared himself. _How's he going to fight if he doesn't have anything to fight him **with**? The Arcanine has the prototype 10x Charger, to boot...it's supposed to increase the wearer's abilities by up to ten times the norm!_

She slipped into a hiding spot, watching the scene. _This won't bode well._

---------

After a few seconds, the Arcanine opened its mouth and released a massive stream of fire. Reacting instinctively, Phibrizzo threw his arms in front of his face and worked to absorb the intense heat into his system. As the attack continued, he could feel the energy inside of him build up to enormous levels...nowhere near a hundredth of what it was several weeks before, but it would do him just fine for the time being. This felt much better than the Shi Shi Hokodan that Ryoga nailed him with previously, since it wasn't emotion-driven.

After the Arcanine kept up its attack for a full twenty seconds, it finally let up and closed its mouth. As the last embers faded away, though, it started to think that maybe it hadn't put enough power into the Flamethrower; not only was the target of his Charger-induced anger still up and able, it looked to be completely unharmed!

Phibrizzo's skin, as well as the air around him, was glowing a bright orange as he lowered his arms and clenched his fists. "Almost hate to say it," he said, smiling eerily, "but you don't stand a snowball's chance in the desert of fazing me with tricks like that. Understand me, mutt?"

The Arcanine growled and barked at him, but Phibrizzo just shook his head. "I don't understand any of that, but I'm guessing you're still willing to fight. Am I right?" Getting an affirmative response, he closed his eyes momentarily as he prepared himself mentally. "Okay, then. It's been a while since I've used this move, so I hope I've still got it. Just bear with me."

Opening his eyes, he took a half-step back and cupped his hands in front of him. A black glow formed around them, followed by a small indigo sphere that materialized in his hands. "Just like your fire abilities are completely natural to you," Phibrizzo explained as the sphere grew to the size of a grapefruit, "my own abilities are completely natural to me. Take this move, for instance: the fact I'm using it is due to my ability to absorb extreme amounts of heat and energy. If I used my _own_ energy for this, I'd be exhausted in no time."

The orange coloring that imbued the air and Phibrizzo's skin faded away as the sphere finished forming. "I can take whatever you throw at me and return it with interest! Now, try _this_ on!"

An explosive beam of purple fire burst forth from the orb, slamming into the Arcanine. The fire dog, for his part, tried to withstand the beam as best as he can---some select members of his species were able to withstand attacks from fire-types better than others. The force of the beam was too much, though, and the Arcanine was sent spinning away a good twenty meters before finally crashing into the ground.

Phibrizzo lowered his arms as the fire beam dwindled down to nothing. The last time he had used that technique about eight centuries ago, it only took a minute fraction of his energy. Now, even with the aid of the fire that he'd absorbed a minute before, it took all his effort just to stay on his feet. He wasn't about to let Arcanine know that, however. "_Dark Harsh_," he intoned, smiling again.

------------

She was entirely in shock. _This can not be happening. I am not seeing this. I am NOT seeing this!_

She was first surprised when Arcanine's Flamethrower had little to no effect on the boy. She was even more so caught off guard when he began charging up his own attack, but the kicker was when the resulting blast blew Arcanine off its feet. _What is he? Is he even human?_

After a few seconds, the shock wore off and her mission returned to her. _At any rate, it'll make my job easier. Maybe I could attempt to capture him along with the Arcanine...if he could somehow be turned to work for us, we'd have a powerful force on our side._

She watched as the Arcanine got to its feet, then smirked a bit. What the boy hadn't known was that this Arcanine could grow stronger by coming into contact with fire. When combined with the 10x Charger, which multiplied the user's defenses are well as their attacks, it likely negated the effects of the boy's technique.

In less than an eyeblink, the Arcanine suddenly disappeared. It reappeared a split second later---ramming straight into the boy at its maximum speed (which was also super-charged). _On second thought, maybe its not a good idea to capture the boy after all...I almost forgot about Extremespeed. Ouch._

--------

Phibrizzo's half-mazoku form absorbed most of the damage that the Arcanine's unexpected attack dealt him, thankfully. It didn't stop him from being thrown aside like so much paper in the wind, though.

Several buildings away from the Nekohanten, it took him about fifteen seconds to pry himself out of the hole in the wall. _That dog's tough---it took the Dark Harsh and it still has enough power to fight back! Unreal!_

"It's not its own abilities responsible for that, though," Curtis explained. "Did you notice how that strange collar glowed the exact time the Arcanine's eyes did? There's something fishy here."

Inuyasha caught on quickly. "You think it's controlling him or giving him a boost in power? That would explain a lot either way."

"Yeah. Basically we have our work cut out for us." Curtis eyed a few monitors before gazing out at the Arcanine. "If we can just trash the collar, though, he should be easy to beat."

If _we can trash the collar, _Phibrizzo groaned. _I hardly took any damage from that last attack, but using the Dark Harsh took a lot out of me. My legs feel like rubber, and..._ His voice cut itself off as he began pondering something.

"Think you can spare enough energy for a teleport?" Curtis suggested, not knowing that Phibrizzo was hiding his thoughts from them again.

It took a few seconds for him to respond as he watched the Arcanine, which was eyeing him with some arrogance but also a hint of wonder on its face. _Yeah, but I'd prefer to save it. I have something else planned._ "Dog," Phibrizzo shouted as he took a few forward steps, "if you going to attack me, just go on and do it already!"

-------------

The woman continued to watch, a bit caught up in the surprise and suspense. _Don't know how, but he managed to shrug off Arcanine's Extremespeed. He looks like he's having trouble staying on his feet, though. Why's he trying to incite it to attack him? None of this makes sense!_

_I wonder what he's planning now. _

The boy started rotating his left arm. "Come on!" he shouted. "What are you, chicken? I've known redheads who pack stronger strikes than you! Compared to me, your fire breath isn't enough to light a candle! Is that all you've got?"

Although the Arcanine's mane of fur was blocking most of its head, the woman was sure she saw a vein throbbing. Roaring fiercely, the majestic dog opened its mouth to assail his enemy with another Flamethrower...or worse, possibly an Overheat.

The woman's fears were confirmed as the Arcanine decided to choose the second option. As it did so, she saw something that nearly made her jaw fall to the ground.

As the monstrous blast of fire engulfed the boy, he quite literally threw his arm forward...and for no discernable reason, it _stretched_ the length of the street to grab the 10x Charger. Half a second later, the boy was pulled forward by the sheer elasticity and out of harm's way. In the process, he had launched himself on a head-first collision course.

While the awesome defense provided by the Charger protected the Arcanine from the boy's impossible tackle, said defense didn't last long. The boy leaped onto its back and grabbed the Charger with both hands. Straining as best as he could, he broke off the collar and began punching it repeatedly. After about eight impacts, the device was officially beyond repair.

The boy climbed off the Arcanine and stepped a few feet away, allowing the disbelieving woman to read the short statement on the back of his shirt. "I don't like being attacked for no good reason," he growled as the Arcanine settled down, released from the mechanical collar. "And I dislike being used as part of an experiment even more. Whoever it is that's watching me, come on out."

----------

_Well, that problem's solved,_ Phibrizzo uttered smugly, looking on as the blonde-haired woman from earlier stepped out from in front of a shop down the street and stopped near the ruined collar. Inside his mind, Inuyasha looked both amused and interested at the stunt he'd just pulled. _We got that thing off of it, and it's even less of a threat than it was before. I even got some of my energy back from that last---um, Curtis? Curtis?_

The human was staring straight ahead of him, chuckling weakly. The chuckling got stronger momentarily. "Rubber," he said, having the broadest grin that Phibrizzo had ever seen on him---and this despite being under the weather. "You've got rubber arms. No wonder you saved yourself from that fall so well. You know, you and I are going to have to talk about this later." His grin faded. "And there's something I'm gonna have to tell you about now. It's about that woman."

The woman started talking, but Phibrizzo didn't pay her any mind. _What about her? You said that she's another one of those fictional figures back on your homeworld._

"Yeah, well, there's more to it than that..."

-------------

She was surprised to know that the boy had somehow known where she was hiding, and even more so that the 10x Charger was destroyed. Her professional nature didn't let that bother her, though. "My, you're a very remarkable kid," she said, smiling. "You can do all those things that no other human could do." She folded her arms, thinking for a second on how to phrase her proposal. "I don't suppose your parents would be interested in letting me give you a job?"

The boy looked up, seemingly interested. He wasn't paying attention to her, but she didn't know that. "You'd get to work with creatures like the one you just faced. You'd have the satisfaction of getting your own money---as much as you wanted. We could even get you toys, if you're interested at all in that sort of stuff. All that I'm really asking is that you carry out some occasional tasks for my boss. I'm sure that when I tell him about you, he'd be willing to accept you as part of the team. And when I talk to your parents, maybe they'd be accepting of it too."

The boy didn't respond, instead looking thoughtful. The woman bent down and scooped what was left of the 10x Charger into her hands, transferring it to her pack. "I can give you a few minutes to think it over, if you want," she stated, her gaze landing on a nearby restaurant---the Nekohanten. _Man, I'm so hungry...maybe if I convince him, I can celebrate with a nice lunch._

As she waited, she let her eyes wander around. _I've never actually been in mainland Japan before. Rather quaint. One thing that gets me: I wonder why the citizens or police haven't come by to investigate here; it's not like any of them have ever seen a Pokémon before._

A few minutes ticked by slowly. The kid kept staring ahead with a thoughtful look on his face the whole time. Finally, it switched to a determined expression. _About time._ "How about it, kid?" the woman asked. "Want to give it a shot?"

"Put a sock in it, lady!" the kid suddenly snapped.

The woman blinked. "Huh? All that thinking, just to say that?"

"Let's just say," the boy said slowly, "that I don't work with criminals." He folded his arms over the fireball design on his T-shirt.

She laughed a bit disbelievingly. "Criminal? I'm not a criminal."

"I can't imagine anything else you'd be," the kid growled, smirking, "Agent 009 Black Tulip. A.K.A. Domino."

Professionalism and secrecy were two of the things that the woman prided herself on. She always took a mission seriously, and she never gave her true name to anyone; "Domino" was just a moniker she thought up after she signed up.

But with the boy's statement, the woman's mind froze up. Just like that. "Wah...how...how did..." After her brain took the time to put itself back together, she glared at the boy. "How did you know? I never left any hints for you or anyone else to follow. There are only a few hundred people outside the various islands that know about the existence of Pokémon and Team Rocket. Where'd you get your information?"

The kid's smirk became deadly. "That is a secret, Miss."

"Huh," Domino said, smiling. Since she no longer had need for it, she tore off her disguise with a single sweeping movement. Pulling out a black flower---one with a sharpened stem---from out of nowhere, she inquired: "Since you won't join, does that mean you won't let me take the test subject back home with---"

"Excuse me," someone asked, "but can you tell me where the Tendo Dojo---oh. Hi, Phibrizzo."

_Phibrizzo?_ Domino asked herself, arching an eyebrow as a young man with a bandanna and an umbrella appeared near the Arcanine. _What kind of name is **that?**_

"Hi, Ryoga," 'Phibrizzo' said, waving as he approached him. "I was looking for you. Do you know a 'Miss Valen' by any chance?"

The young man nodded. "Yes. She's my aunt."

Phibrizzo took an envelope out of a pocket and handed it to him. "Miss Valen had wanted someone to return this pamphlet to you. She wanted to say that as much as she appreciates the offer, she won't be able to go to Cerulean City until the school year ends. The work of a principal, and all that."

Ryoga shrugged, taking the envelope. "Thank you. Where's Ranma?"

"If I've got the whole timing thing down," Phibrizzo said, "he's probably trying to escape from that noisy Amazon. Somewhere off in..." he pointed in the direction behind him. "That way."

"Thanks, Phibrizzo," Ryoga said, walking past Domino and the Arcanine. "Hello, miss," he greeted as he walked by, bowing just a little. "Nice to meet you; and if you ever see a guy named Ranma Saotome, stay away from him." With that, he continued on.

Domino's mind slowed down again, trying to digest what just happened. _Judging by the boy's clothes and pack, he's a traveler that wound up in Cerulean City at some point. He sent a brochure which talked about the place to the kid's principal. In turn, the principal gave it to Phibrizzo to pass on to him. After receiving it, he walked _in the opposite direction_ of where the boy had told him to go. To top it off, he treated me and the Arcanine as if we showed up everyday._

She groaned loudly. "How in the world did I wind up in a psycho ward?"

Phibrizzo started chuckling, greatly amused. "Most sane people typically don't go to the Nerima district of Tokyo unless they're martial artists, they have family or friends here, or they just have a high tolerance for 'strange'. I fit in the third category, but you're not in any of them; therefore, you're insane."

"That's rather twisted of you to say so." Domino folded her arms. "At any rate, I've been ordered to retrieve that Arcanine. Stay out of my way."

"You and your odors," was Phibrizzo's smug riposte. He ignored Arcanine's growling (probably aimed at the TR agent) and continued on. "What's that smell---sulfur and monoxide, or just perfume?"

Domino gritted her teeth. "Say that again," she said testily.

Phibrizzo looked up at the sky. "Looks like it's going to rain," he commented off-handedly. "Your plans as part of Team Rocket have just been grounded." He looked back at her. "Do me a favor, Domino, and I'll let you off easy."

"_You_, let me off easy?" the young woman scoffed. "How do you plan on stopping me, considering how much trouble you had with the test subject here?"

"I have my ways."

"Well, mind letting me in on them?"

-------

Before Phibrizzo could formulate a reply, Inuyasha's ears began twitching. "Heads up, guys. Those nutcases are coming through again. I think there's five of them."

Domino heard them coming too, and spun off to the side. Phibrizzo did the same, not willing to get trampled on. By this time, he knew enough of their personalities and quirks to figure out who said what.

"What did I do to deserve this?" "Airen, not like you to pass up free ramen!" "Come back here, foul sorcerer!" "Ranma, how dare you betray Akane's honor! Prepare to die!" Following a few meters behind was: "_Haa_-ha-ho-ho-ho!" Being unfamiliar with the oddities of Nerima, Domino just stared at them with a nonplussed look.

As soon as Phibrizzo heard Kodachi's laugh, something occured to him. Something that Kodachi and Domino had in common...

As those that led the pack raced past, Phibrizzo began rotating his arm. Almost as soon as Kodachi passed him, he stretched his arm across the street and snagged Domino. Ignoring the woman's startled shriek, he twisted a bit and flung the Team Rocket agent straight at her.

"Phibrizzo," Curtis asked as the two collided, "what are you doing?"

_Two things: getting one of Ranma's pursuers off his back, and preparing myself for some quality entertainment._

"Quality entertainment? What do you...ohhh. I get it now." Curtis smiled. "Glad you noticed that."

The trio looked on as Domino recovered and stood up, seething angrily. "It's not polite to do that, kid," she warned, slowly walking towards Phibrizzo and arming herself with one of the sharpened flowers.

"It's not polite _or_ ethical to try enlisting a kid into a criminal organization, either," Phibrizzo pointed out. "Besides, I don't have any of those creatures to use against you. Vice-versa with you, so I figured a you-versus-me fight was in order."

"Who says I don't have any Pokémon?" Domino continued forward. "You're just assuming I don't. I could probably have a half-dozen stored away inside my pack!"

"Maybe you do, maybe you don't. It doesn't matter to me," Phibrizzo stated, shrugging.

Domino prepared herself to attack. "It _should_ matter, because---whaaaa!"

There wasn't any other way she could have finished that sentence. One of Kodachi's gymnastics ribbons had wrapped itself around her leg, tripping her up. She had no time to react before she was pitched to the ground.

Domino threw herself back to her feet, looking both sore and angry as the ribbon retreated. "Okay, who did that?"

"It is I," Kodachi announced, holding a rose in one hand. "You may call me the Black Rose, Kodachi Kuno. How dare you strike a noble woman from behind!"

"_Whaaat?_ Are you blind? That kid over there threw me into you! I didn't mean to do that!"

Kodachi's eyes passed over Phibrizzo. "He is of no consequence," she concluded. "Even as insolent he may be, he couldn't have done such a thing. Alas, you are to blame for interfering with my pursuit of Ranma-darling! State your identity!"

-------------

**(BGM - "Domino Dancing", by the Pet Shop Boys)**

Gritting her teeth, Domino prepared herself to attack. "Some people call me Domino. You'll know me best as the Black Tulip!" she shouted, flinging a rain of sharpened flowers at Kodachi.

The clearly insane woman was able to dodge them. "So you seek to copy me? Your designs shall end in failure!" she exclaimed, punctuating her declaration with the most dreadful laugh that Domino had ever heard. She ducked down and swiped again with the ribbon, forcing the agent to jump back several feet.

"Me, copying you?" Domino grabbed the ribbon on Kodachi's next attack and pulled on it sharply, yanking it free and tossing it behind her. "My skills are my own!"

Kodachi produced another ribbon, used it to retrieve the one Domino took, then wound it around a bouquet of flowers. "I suspect you of many things. Lying is one of them, charlatan!" She flung the bouquet straight at her.

Domino hurriedly slashed the bouquet repeatedly, shredding it. As she did, she caught a whiff of the roses---and started wishing she hadn't. She stumbled and nearly fell as some of her muscles locked up. "Why, you..." she growled. "That's paralysis powder! They actually let you go out in public with that?"

Her only response was another high-pitched laugh. "You're just prolonging the inevitable. Admit your defeat! Ranma-darling can not wait for me much longer!"

"He wasn't waiting for you to begin with," Phibrizzo muttered. "But no one _ever_ believes a kid when he has something important to say..."

Domino struggled to stand straight, unwilling to lose to a civilian maniac. What would Giovanni think if she lost to someone like her? "I'm not going to lose," she declared, arming herself with another sharpened tulip. "And I always mean it!"

-----------

Sitting near the Nekohanten, Phibrizzo couldn't help snickering as the battle continued. "This is actually fun," he said to himself. The Arcanine he was leaning against rumbled softly in agreement.

"Yeah. You'd think they'd both get the point. Is this sort of thing mazoku-grade entertainment?"

_Close enough, Curtis. Hey, what does popcorn taste like?_

"You mean you've never tried the stuff? Sad."

"Excuse me, child..."

Both Phibrizzo and the Arcanine turned to see the old woman standing at the Nekohanten's door. "Oh. Hello, Elder Cologne," the former addressed her. "Nice to meet you."

"Glad to see someone still has respect for their elders," the Amazon matriarch commented, smirking. "So, why's this battle taking place right outside my door?"

"One's insane, the other's a professional criminal. One likes black roses, the other likes black tulips. One likes Ranma, the other 'accidentally' got in her way." Phibrizzo shrugged. "Enough said, really."

Cologne's eyes glinted. "I see. You must be the 'small boy' that my great-granddaughter was complaining about."

Phibrizzo's mirth vanished. "That's me. But it stands to reason that if I can call you 'Elder Cologne', you can call me 'Phibrizzo Kaden'. Am I right or not?"

"Very well then, Phibrizzo. You don't like being called 'small', do you?" Cologne asked.

"No, I don't. My older sister used to keep harping about that for the longest time," Phibrizzo said grumpily. "To hear someone else call me that really annoys me."

Cologne nodded. "I see. So, she 'used to'? What made her stop?"

Phibrizzo's voice turned serious. "Someone drove her insane. After she was locked up, I never saw her again." The seriousness was gone, replaced by a bright smile. "But hey; I can't complain. My family never was the greatest, anyway."

The half-mazoku turned back to the fight, then blinked when a raindrop hit his nose. Soon enough, the cloud-filled sky began dispensing the rain in larger quantities. Sighing, he got up and started to head towards the Nekohanten...then stopped, grinning as he remembered Domino. _Let's see how much harder we can make this._

Hurriedly, he doubled back to where the TR agent's pack was still sitting on the ground. Opening up all the pack's compartments, he upended it and allowed the contents to spill to the ground, broken 10x Charger and all.

With all the noise this made, there was no way Domino could have missed it. The second she turned her head, though, a rapid-fire assault of rhythmic gymnastics equipment forced her to focus on what she was doing. "Little _brat---!_ That stuff was important!"

The smug expression Phibrizzo had as he headed for shelter made it clear that he was well aware of that.

----------

As Kodachi's assault wore down a minute later, the insane woman decided that fighting any longer in the rain wasn't worth it any more. "We will have to resume this later," she said. "I've already stayed here longer than I intended. I trust you have learned your lesson, copycat." After turning around, she strode away gracefully. "Until we meet again..._haa-ha-ho-ho!_"

Domino glared at her as she left and briefly contemplated throwing another tulip, but the way the rain was coming down and her muscles weren't cooperating fully, she didn't think it would work. She turned to examine what was in her pack, groaning loudly as she did so.

Along with the broken 10x Charger was a long-distance radio, several empty Ultra Balls, the tracking device she used to trail the Arcanine, a fireproof leash and net, a cell phone, her ticket to a Water Show at the Cerulean City gym for this coming Friday, a few instant food containers, a laptop computer, and her purse. The Ultra Balls and food containers were waterproof, but nothing else was. Plus, the only thing in the purse that survived the rain was her wallet.

She was _seriously_ starting to consider demanding some vacation time. No experiment, no matter how crucial, was worth this; about the only good thing that came out of the encounter was that she didn't receive any real damage. And where did Kodachi get all that equipment, anyway? _Of course, I'm one to talk considering all those tulips I had with me...but still, she took the cake!_

Putting everything that survived the rain into the waterproof pack and sealing it, she made her way into the Nekohanten. Not bothering to look around, she sat down at the first table she came to and deposited the pack on the floor. "This," she griped, "has to be the worst day of my life."

"Eh, you deserve to be taken down a peg," a most unwelcome voice told her. "Happens to the best of us."

Domino finally looked up...straight into the face of Phibrizzo, who was smiling at her innocently. "Ordered some sushi ramen," he said. "Want any?"

The TR agent first glanced at the floor nearby, where the Arcanine was dozing quietly. She then turned to Phibrizzo, who was flicking some damp hair out of his eyes. "I don't like you," she said calmly and dangerously. "Not...at...all."

Phibrizzo's expression brightened even more. "You mean that? Great! I thought you just looked like it!"

_There should be a statute of limitations on cuteness,_ Domino thought, grimacing. "Do you think I'm being funny?"

"Do you think I care?"

Domino folded her arms and settled into her seat. "Obnoxious little brat."

Phibrizzo shrugged. "I've been called worse."

A lavender cat wandered into the eating area, shaking water out of her fur. Some of it landed on the Arcanine, who perked up and started chasing after it. After a minute, the cat made a running leap onto an empty chair, and from there onto Phibrizzo's head. The fire dog glared up at it, but composed itself and sat back down.

Phibrizzo glared upwards at the cat. "Shampoo, you've got ten seconds to get off my head before I turn mean."

The cat meowed something, then stuck its tongue out at him. _Didn't think normal cats could understand humans,_ Domino thought, wringing water out of her cap and gloves. _I've made a serious mistake in coming here, if I'm starting to believe that._

"Having a cat on my head is hardly funny," Phibrizzo retorted. "An oversized fedora, maybe...but _not_ you! Now get off before I swat you off!"

All the cat did was rotate herself on the boy's head so that her tail was hanging directly down his face. Growling, Phibrizzo pulled a tennis racquet from out of nowhere and swatted at her---but she jumped back onto the empty chair, causing him to hit his forehead instead.

Putting his racquet away, he shook his head angrily. "It never fails. Ever since I came to Japan, I can't go a single day without hitting my head on something!" He turned his head to complain to the cat.

Domino didn't say anything to that, but looked up as a robed young man wearing thick glasses set Phibrizzo's order on the table. "Excuse me," she then said. "Could I have a carry-out case for one of those boxes?"

"Sure. Of course," the man said as he walked away. "He said you'd probably want some anyhow."

A short time later, the man returned with one a carry-out case. Domino took one of the extra containers of sushi ramen and closed it up within the case. She then took a second container, made as if she was going to do the same...

...and dumped it over Phibrizzo's face and hair. "If what you were doing was an act of kindness," she muttered, "I don't want any." On that note, she stuck the carry-out case inside the pack and slung it over her shoulder as she left the restaurant.

-------------

Phibrizzo slurped a few noodles that hung near his mouth, looking rather sheepish. "Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day...give Domino some ramen, and she decorates you with it."

Mousse, Shampoo, and even the Arcanine couldn't help but be amused at this.

------------

Time: Fifteen minutes later

The rain had let up a bit by this time; it was more a mist than an actual downpour. Phibrizzo had paid for his ramen and had made arrangements with Cologne to have the Arcanine returned to his home island. _I know she's the matriarch of a warrior race, but I didn't think she knew **that** many people._

As he stepped outside, he saw the trash that had been left behind because of his actions. Nothing on the ground was of any use to him, so he started to walk away...

"Phibrizzo?" Curtis piped up. "Even if that ticket there is drenched, we may be able to use it somehow. Let's take it home and get it dried off."

Frowning, Phibrizzo carefully picked up the water-ruined ticket and examined it. "Water Show Special. Cerulean Gym, Cerulean City. Friday, February 9, 1996 at 4:15pm. Section E, Row 2, Seat 8...this Friday if I have the date right, but why would I want to watch something that'll bore me asleep?"

"You don't even know what it's going to be like," Inuyasha pointed out. "How do you know that it's going to bore you?"

"Besides, there's a lot more Pokémon where that Arcanine came from...couple hundred different species, actually," Curtis added. "Don't tell me you didn't think that Arcanine was cool."

Phibrizzo hesitantly thought about his fight against the fire dog earlier. "Well, I don't know...I mean, they're not really anything _unusual._"

"That's only because we've been visiting Nerima," Curtis said. "We don't need anything more unusual than that; Pokémon are more or less normal compared to what we've seen since we got here."

"Case in point," Phibrizzo said, sighing in defeat. He carefully stuck the ticket in subspace. "Alright. We've got that pamphlet back to Ryoga, started a rivalry between that criminal and Kodachi, and had a snack at the Nekohanten. Anything else we need to do...right. Mom gave me money to buy some dinner over here for later."

"You know, you should also toss the rest of that stuff in the trash. Can't leave litter behind, you know."

Phibrizzo stooped to grab the rest of the ruined tools, grumbling something about the unfairness of life. He and the others had an argument on the subject as they threw the trash away, but it dwindled away to nothing as they moved on.

--------

Time: Five minutes later

It was business as usual for Ukyo, but the customers had stopped coming in when it began raining. Just another one of those days that she had to go through, she supposed.

Feeling a slight tug on her arm, she looked down at a somewhat-wet Phibrizzo. "Oh. Hi. Didn't see you there," she greeted.

"No problem," Phibrizzo said. "I was wondering if I get something to go...and if I could use your phone, please? I need to ask my mother what she'll be wanting."

--------

Time: Five hours later

Place: Location unknown

"Mr. Giovanni? Agent 009 is here to see you, sir. I would advise you to reserve judgement until you speak with her."

"How come?" Giovanni asked, his usual testy tone betraying nothing.

"You know the pack of Houndour on guard duty downstairs? They upstaged the cafeteria trying to find places to hide."

This gave him pause. "I see. Well, send her in anyway," he said, shutting off the room's P.A. speaker. _Did she retrieve the test subject, or didn't she?_

After a few seconds the door opened. Giovanni looked up from his computer...and found himself unable to move his eyes. The Persian sitting on his desk was suddenly under the boss's chair in less than two seconds, shivering.

Agent 009, the Black Tulip...words couldn't really describe her. The best way to put it would be a cross between an angry crocodile and a cat that's just had a bath. She didn't walk in so much as stumble in, but Giovanni had never seen her this furious before. She was completely and thoroughly soaked, smudges of dirt covered her uniform, and there were stress lines on her face. She was holding a container in her hands...containing what, Giovanni couldn't tell.

After about twenty seconds, Domino reached the desk and turned the container over. Immediately, the desk was covered in various debris. On closer examination Giovanni saw multiple pieces of various 10x Charger units, plus the shattered remains of the prototype. He looked up angrily. "What's the meaning of this, 009?"

Domino tilted her head just a bit, and for the first time Giovanni noticed the tiredness in those angry eyes. Her voice, although calm and quiet, reflected the fury she was radiating. She said only one sentence:

"I cancelled your stupid project."

Turning around, she stormed out---or at least tried to---and slammed the door behind her.

Hearing her footsteps fade away, Giovanni clasped his hands beneath his chin. On the one hand, he should be angry that one of his best agents failed in her mission---as far as he knew, the only failure that 009 ever had. On the other hand, he _did_ give her the assignment on short notice; and he knew it probably could've been a result of him asking a lot of his agents in recent months.

And how did this happen to her? Who or what had she fought for her to be in that condition?

Giovanni pushed a nearby button. "Have a memo typed and sent to 009's quarters. Effective tomorrow, she is to have a week's vacation to sort out any difficulties she may be having. She can pick up her paycheck in the morning. Upon her return, she is to prepare a report detailing her most recent mission."

"Upon her return? Why not sooner?"

"Do _you_ want to be the one to tell her what she's to do?"

"I see. Very well then, sir. Anything else?"

"Several things; you may wish to make a note of these...all set? Good. First, have the janitorial staff clean the water off the floor. Second, make sure the Houndour are returned to their posts. And third..."

"Third?"

"Contact the lab and see if 009 really did cancel the project. If she did, let it be. If not, tell the scientists that I want all testing and production on the 10x Charger halted."

"Very well, then. Good evening, sir."

_I very much wish that could be the case._

--------------

_Chapter Seven finished. Chapter Eight soon to commence_

Author's Notes

Phibrizzo's seemingly newfound ability to stretch his arms will be explained somewhat in the next chapter. And before you ask, yes; I had Monkey D. Luffy in mind when I gave him that. Straw Hat himself, though, had nothing to do with it. Just thought I'd tell you.

In my mind, a meeting between Black Rose and Black Tulip was inevitable. Who do _you_ think would win?

Kind of an odd way to introduce _Pokémon_ into the mix, but I don't have any intention of having Phibrizzo going on a journey of his own. Besides...heh, heh...where else could the meeting have taken place besides Nerima?


	15. Chapter Eight

WHAT INSERTION?

by Curtis Wildcat

_Chapter Eight _--- Rained Out

--------

**(Cue theme)**

--------

Location: Kaden residence

Time: Immediately following Chapter Seven

Phibrizzo rested on his bed, watching as Inuyasha and Curtis sat around the latter's chamber. It had been only an hour since dinner, and now the trio were just wasting time while waiting for night to roll around.

For dinner, Phibrizzo had brought back some okonomiyaki from Ukyo's restaurant. Each one had scored highly with his parents and the family cat (French Vanilla wouldn't stop pestering the family until Marcus tore off a piece of his dinner and gave it to her), and Sylvia had asked him to thank Ukyo sometime for "making such delicious food".

It would only be a few hours now before Phibrizzo would turn Inuyasha loose, just as he had done every night since he arrived. It was mechanical and routine.

To Phibrizzo, 'routine' was dull. He didn't know about the others, but he felt like he wanted an adventure of some kind. It was strange...before he came here, he rather enjoyed being stuck in a routine; it wasn't like there was much else to do, after all. But now...

"I still find it hard to believe that these people earn so much money," Inuyasha was saying as the television blared in his mind. "All that, just to kick a ball across the field and have the other guys bring it back?"

Curtis nodded as he caused a 1-liter bottle of orange 'Gatorade' to materialize. He drank some of it down. "It's a living, I guess. That money goes towards their day-to-day lives...well, some of it does, anyway. In some cases, the rest of it is wasted."

_I still don't see what Conan Edogawa sees in the sport. Why would he---_

Knock, knock. "Excuse me, Phibrizzo? There's someone on the phone for you," Marcus called.

Phibrizzo muttered something inaudible, then called back: "Who is it?"

Marcus stopped to confirm the call, then replied a few seconds later: "He says his name's Agasa. He claims to know you."

---------

Phibrizzo picked up the phone, a bit uneasy since he didn't like using technology such as that. Since it was a cordless set, he carried it off back to his room before he said anything. "Hello? Phibrizzo speaking."

"Hello. Glad to speak with you, Phibrizzo Kaden."

The half-mazoku sighed. "Hi, Doc. How'd you get hold of this number?"

"Conan gave it to me a day or two after we first met. He later told me how you're planning to find those men in black, too."

Phibrizzo sighed. "How much did he tell you?"

"Enough for me to know that you're an extraordinary individual," Agasa replied. "With that in mind, I started on a few things. One of them I gave to Conan two nights ago, and the other I'm going to give to you."

"Huh? What would that be?"

"I'd much rather not tell you over the phone," said Agasa. "Why don't you come over and see for yourself?"

Phibrizzo was more alert. "Now?"

"No better time than the present. Besides, if you hurry, you'll be able to get back before it starts raining again."

"Alright. Consider me there, Doctor! Talk to you later!"

-------

It took a minute to ask Marcus to take him over there, since he didn't know Agasa personally. Eventually, Phibrizzo was able to convince him that he wasn't really a _stranger_...more like a friend of a friend. Once there, Phibrizzo asked his adoptive father to wait for him while he went inside.

"So, Doctor," he was saying a minute or so later as he followed the oddball scientist to his lab, "why are you giving...whatever it is to me? I know I made it a goal to find those men, but it's not like I think of it as my only reason for living or anything."

"Just a little something to help you in your endeavors," Agasa replied calmly. "Even with my occupation, I always have quite a bit of spare time on my hands." He opened the door to his lab and allowed Phibrizzo to enter first, then closed it behind him.

Phibrizzo let his eyes wander around the room, trying not to feel as if he had gotten lost in unexplored territory. A lot of the technology here was unfamiliar to him, although he recognized enough to understand that Agasa dabbled in chemistry as well. Keeping himself from gawking, he focused on Agasa. "So, what is it you want to give me?"

"See for yourself," Agasa said as he reached into a desk drawer. He fished out a small case and handed it to Phibrizzo.

"Wonder what he's going to give him," Inuyasha muttered, curious.

Phibrizzo accepted the case and opened it slowly. He raised an eyebrow at what he saw inside. Funny...he'd been expecting something a bit more complex than... "Huh? Sunglasses?"

"Try them on," Agasa suggested as he made his way back to the other side of the room.

Shrugging, Phibrizzo fit the sunglasses over his eyes. "Okay. Not exactly what I'd call avante-garde, but they work."

"They work much better than you realize, my little friend," Agasa said, chuckling a bit.

He was met with a curious look. "What? What do you mean?"

"Hope you're ready for this," the doctor warned, reaching over his shoulder and flipping the light switch. "Now, feel along the bridge of the glasses."

Phibrizzo ran a finger along the frame and bridge of the glasses, frowning when he discovered a small hole. "Okay, I think I found a small depression. What is this?"

"There's a button inside. Go ahead and push it."

Phibrizzo followed Agasa's suggestion, tapping the button with the side of a fingernail...and was startled to notice that everything he saw through the sunglasses was visible, tinted a light red. It was a bit unusual, but he could see...

The realization of this leapt into his mind, eliciting a gasp. He could see..._in pitch darkness!_ "Doctor Agasa...I don't really know what to say. This...this is..."

"Go ahead," Curtis urged. "Come on. Get it out of your system already."

In the past as far as Phibrizzo was concerned, there was absolutely no way to use only your eyes in absolute darkness and expect to see. That always had been one of the few things he extremely hated, but now it was no longer an issue. Deciding that acting out of character wouldn't hurt for once, he blurted: "This is utterly _fabulous_, Agasa! Real nice!"

"Glad you enjoy it," Agasa said, pleased that he liked them. "And to go back to a normal view, just push the button again." After Phibrizzo had done so, he switched on the light and continued: "These infrared sunglasses work as well as normal sunglasses, with one added advantage: they make things _easier_ to see the darker it gets. When it gets too dim for your eyes, just push the button. The glasses are both waterproof and shockproof; the only disadvantage is that it requires some previous exposure to light before usage."

"That won't be a problem," a delighted Phibrizzo declared as he put the glasses away. He slipped the glasses case into his pocket (en route to subspace), smiling broadly. "Thanks a _lot_, Doctor!"

-----------

Time: Three hours later

True to what Agasa implied over the phone, it began drizzling in Beika a half hour after Phibrizzo returned home. The weather forecast didn't help either, since it called for scattered showers and thunderstorms up until the following morning. Curtis brought up the fact that if Inuyasha was out all night in the rain, Sylvia and Marcus would somehow figure out that Phibrizzo hadn't been in his room at all. Therefore, it was with great reluctance that the trio decided not to head out after any criminals tonight.

After the mandatory bath (which he himself didn't think was mandatory; Curtis and Inuyasha had deemed it as such), Phibrizzo donned a set of indigo pajamas before closing himself in his room for the night. Before he could settle down, though, there was something he needed to take care of.

First, he took out the damp Water Show ticket and one of his schoolbooks. He then set the ticket near a heat vent, then placed the book on the edge of the ticket to keep it from blowing away. It wasn't a perfect way to dry off the ticket, but it was better than nothing.

After setting his wristband and bracelet aside on his desk, he burrowed under the covers. Instead of leaving himself some breathing room---since, as a half-mazoku, he didn't really need air in order get by---he pulled the covers over so that only the top of his head could be seen. _It has been a mildly amusing day,_ he thought. _Now, didn't you say you had some things you wanted to discuss with me?_

"Yeah," Curtis said, stretching his arms. "More like a couple questions I wanted to ask, really. The first of those things you actually brought up yourself."

_Huh?_

"You made a reference to your sibling lords earlier," Curtis reminded him. "More specifically, Deep Sea Dolphin."

_Ah, yes,_ Phibrizzo murmured bitterly. _She made the mistake of trying to get too many details from Xellos and his boss, Zelas Metallium. She tried to absorb all the knowledge at once and became a grade-A psycho. What is there to explain?_

"Well...physical appearances, for one." Curtis brought up a bottle of water and drank some of it slowly. "Some people back home who are fans of the whole series speculate on what Dolphin actually looks like, since there aren't more than a handful of pictures available. Even then, those aren't easy to find. Thought that since you'd known her the longest, you'd be able to tell me."

Phibrizzo thought back to the last time he'd seen his 'sister' in a calm state of mind, which had been nearly a thousand years before. _Hmmm...I can't really say for sure. Even though she used the same base form, she always liked to make alterations to it. Sometimes her eyes were narrow and pointed like Xellos's; other times, her eyes were as big as mine. A few times she's looked as young as I do, and other times she looked fierce enough to scare away even the **wild** dragons._

"Well, then what did she look like the most?" Inuyasha asked. "What did she look like when she wasn't all mixed up?"

_Like I said, I can't say. About the one thing that was always a constant with her was that she always had the same long hair._ Phibrizzo rolled his eyes. _I could never understand why. I mean, even done into twin ponytails her hair reaches her knees. **Without** the ponytails..._ He chuckled at a distant memory. _She made it a point never to walk backwards, because if she did she'd slip and fall._

_Hmmm...I do remember she always used the same form when she had any real serious dealings with me or my other siblings. Looked about twenty years old, give or a take a year. Her hair was shaded aqua, and she liked making it look as if it would blend with whatever shirt or dress she liked. Aqua-colored eyes, aqua-colored earrings...basically, her theme was that of the ocean._

_Her attitude was a mix of dolphin and shark: intelligent and dangerous. She had a mean sense of humor, but she didn't take back-talk from anyone, including myself. Whenever one of us said something she didn't like, she would always think of something to say just to make the other person clam up._

"You mean she actually tried that with you?" Curtis wanted to know.

_She didn't just try it; she **did** it. And she had a real sharp tongue when it came to reprimanding her servants or other mazoku, but she had a soft spot for sea creatures. She was once told that a rare species of fish that she enjoyed watching was being relentlessly hunted by someone; she immediately left her palace to deal with the perpetrators in person._

Phibrizzo poked his head from beneath the blankets, focusing on the nearby bracelet. _She was quick to catch on to any changes in people, and she often formulated her strategies around those changes. I sometimes wonder what she'd say if she could see me now. She'd probably chew me up, spit me out, and flatten me with her shoe just for trying to escape my own destruction._

Inuyasha folded his arms, disgusted. "It was your decision. Even if she was still around at the time, she wouldn't have had any right to argue against you if you wanted to take your act elsewhere. She would've done the same if she knew that any destructive goals she had would turn out the same way."

_Maybe. Maybe not. It's a moot point now; my homeworld's long gone. I've left those things behind. All that I have left..._ Phibrizzo tore his eyes away from his bracelet. _...are my memories._

Curtis looked around for a few seconds, pretending to look puzzled. "Huh?"

_I said...oh, forget it. I see what you're doing._ Phibrizzo inched back beneath the covers. _I believe I was explaining to you why I was able to stretch my arms like that earlier._

"Yeah. That's right," said Inuyasha. "Something about your half-mazoku makeup, or whatever that was."

_I'll try to keep it simple so that you can understand it._ He laughed silently when Inuyasha fumed at this, then kept going. _As a full mazoku, my form was extremely malleable; I could do anything I wanted with it. I could look as big as a giant, or as small as Marcus and Sylvia's cat. Of course, I chose to look like a child in part because of my nature and personality...and also because I enjoyed fooling other people with my looks and charm._

"Don't remember exactly where," Curtis replied, smiling, "but I recall seeing some material that suggested that you'd burrowed your looks from Amelia."

Phibrizzo could feel the sweatdrop roll down his temple. _You mean that Seyruunian princess? That annoying justice-spouting do-gooder?_ he snapped. _It's a very lousy joke, and **I'm not laughing!**_

"Figured that would be your response. Anyway, you were saying?"

Shaking his head at the sudden change in subjects, Phibrizzo continued. _When I came to Tokyo, something odd happened to me. My form was still malleable, yet for some reason I couldn't change the way I am now. I'd known what the results had been before, but I forgot about it until today for some reason. Guess it had been too long since I'd used it last._

"So, now it's malleable in the sense that you can stretch your limbs and body every which way?"

_Right._ Looking at Curtis at that moment, Phibrizzo began to get an extremely uncomfortable feeling. _Um, Curtis...I'm not really sure if I like that look on your face. You were reminded of something, weren't you?_

"Perhaps," Curtis chortled. "I think we're going to have a lot of fun with this one."

_Maybe._

After that one word, all was quiet. While the others did whatever it was they felt like doing, Phibrizzo began musing a little about his past back home. What with everything they faced together in the past two weeks, those events seemed like so long ago. Technically, they were---years, decades, and centuries ago.

And it was one specific memory that repeatedly rolled around, making him focus on it before it could dwindle away.

-------------

**-Cue Flashback-**

Location: The Desert of Destruction, in Phibrizzo's hideaway

Time: Two hundred years ago

"Over six hundred years," Phibrizzo growled aloud after he teleported deep into his sanctuary. "I've been wandering the world year after year, and what do I get? Nothing! There's no clues and no evidence suggesting that it even existed! The remaining dragons don't have it, and the humans sure don't know about it!"

He threw himself onto a chair, glaring at the half-rock, half-crystal ceiling twenty feet above his head. With this room two full kilometers below the ground and the tremendous maze that linked this room to the surface, he was safe from anything threatening...not like anything could harm him, of course.

"I despise not getting what I want," he grumbled. "I hate even more losing what I already have! But still...why does this loss persist in irritating me? I'm a a mazoku, for crying out loud!"

Since he was alone, there was no one to answer him. "They say that talking to yourself out loud is a sign of insanity," he continued regardless. "I can't even begin to imagine what Dolphin is going through at this moment, and I don't want to find out." Collecting himself, he finished: "Maybe I should just take it easy for a few days before I go back out. Getting stressed over a failure is only going to mess up my concentration."

Getting off the chair, Phibrizzo strolled over to where he kept his personal library. Thousands of books were arranged on shelves of varying lengths, consisting of fiction, historical works, and the like. Most of them were ignored.

There were several books that he was interested in now: books that told the stories of people and lands that never really existed, yet were described in such a way that they could've been real. He had found them once in a human ruler's library a long time ago. Flipping through them, he had found them to be interesting material. He'd kept them since then, but hadn't thought to look at them any further until recently.

He briefly wondered, though, why in the world the books' author would call himself "Homer". That didn't sound like a name a person would call himself.

Returning to his chair with the books in hand, he set them down and lit a nearby candle. Selecting a book, he opened it and began reading to himself. While he did this he continuously flipped glances at his multi-piece bracelet, either reminding himself of his goals or telling himself that one of the things he sought the most would someday be within his reach...

**-End Flashback-**

-------------

As the memory faded, Phibrizzo shook his head in wonder. In the end, neither of his main goals could be achieved. His plan involving Lina Inverse had failed, and he couldn't find the one thing that escaped his grasp. He chuckled half-heartedly. _Now I know how that part-golem chimera always feels._

Not getting an answer, he checked inside his mind. Inuyasha had dozed off, and Curtis had set to work doing something. For a while, Phibrizzo just stared into his blanket. Finally, he broke the silence. "Is this what boredom feels like?" he asked aloud.

"If it's a whole lot of nothing," Curtis mumbled, "yes."

Another pause. _Hey...Curtis?_

"Yeah?"

_What do you do when you're bored?_

Curtis shrugged. "I take a nap. With my illness the way it is now, it's all I _can_ do."

_What about if it's impossible for you to fall asleep?_

"Try counting sheep."

_I don't like wool. It's too itchy._

Blink. "Oookayyy...try counting mazoku. Try to imagine hundreds or thousands of Gaavs and Xelloses, one after the other, jumping over a wooden fence and going: 'Baaaa...that is a secret...baaa...that is a secret..."

_Has it ever occured to you that I'm not the least bit tired, jumbo?_

Curtis was getting annoyed by now. Of course, so was Phibrizzo; but being annoyed was old hat to him. In any case, arguing with the fat human seemed to be fun...but first, he had to get that annoying mental image that Curtis had inserted into his mind _out_.

"I don't know how to relieve your boredom. Why don't you ask Inuyasha?"

_I wouldn't ask him how to cure **your** boredom, let alone mine._

"Fine. Teleport a few times, then. That should tire you out!"

_In **this** weather?_ Phibrizzo asked disbelievingly. _Where would I go?_

"I never said you actually had to go outside. Warp around the house a few times!"

_Now that would be a complete waste, and you know it._

"Baaa...that is a secret..."

Phibrizzo twitched. _Don't do that. I'm trying to forget it, not remember it. Just keep it to yourself!_

"I don't have anything to say right now, I wasn't planning on playing 'Risk' or 'Stratego' tonight, I've got stuff to do...and, of course, we're stuck in here tonight," Curtis told him impatiently. "If you don't mind, Phibrizzo...I think I'd like to work in peace tonight. I'm sure we all need a break from recent events."

Once more, silence ensued. For a while, Phibrizzo wasn't sure whether to act upset at Curtis for suggesting it or to just ignore him and brood on the unfairness of his life. After three minutes, he decided that he didn't want to stay awake the whole night and be bored out of his mind. _Fine, then. But if I have any of **your** experiences with life, then you can forget having any peace for a while._

Sighing, Phibrizzo rolled out of bed and teleported downstairs to the laundry room. From there he warped straight to the kitchen, then to the living room---almost landing on French Vanilla---and finally back upstairs. The drain caused by four teleportations in less than nine seconds rapidly took its toll on him, barely giving him enough strength to clamber back into bed. It took about twenty additional seconds for his eyelids to finally fall shut, allowing him to murmur:

"Tell me...is this what it feels like...to be given the chance to recover...from a day's stress..."

In the back of his mind, multiple copies of Gaav and Xellos took turns leaping over a wooden fence.

"...you pathetic pillow of preposterous proportions?"

--------------

Curtis looked around, hearing nothing but the noise of rain and occasional thunder. Before he went back to his work, he shrugged and smiled. "Yes, it is...Good night, Phibrizzo. Sweet dreams, don't let the bedbugs bite, and all that."

A faint beeping noise echoed somewhere in the background. He ignored that for the time being in favor of his vision abruptly becoming extremely blurry...

-------

...And discovered that the beeping noise came from his alarm clock. Pulling himself out of bed, Curtis reached over and swiped the alarm's off button. It took a few more minutes for him to realize what today was. _Well, at least today's Friday. I don't need to worry about trudging through school in a half-conscious state._

While eating some scrambled eggs that were offered him, Curtis tried to recollect what he'd dreamed about. Some of it was a blur, particularly the parts after Phibrizzo got the infrared sunglasses from Dr. Agasa and before his run-in with Domino. He didn't like forgetting those details, but it couldn't be helped. You never remembered everything you dreamt about anyway.

There was one detail that stuck in his mind, though: Phibrizzo's ability to stretch his arms as though they were rubber. That, in turn, led to a TV program that he'd been watching recently. Or more specifically, its main character...

_That settles it,_ Curtis thought as he finished breakfast. _When I get back to school next week, I have some research to do. By the time that Water Show rolls around, Phibrizzo will be better prepared to deal with the situations he might be facing if he ever tangles with Team Rocket or those black-coated thugs._

_That's what I'm hoping, anyway. Ultimately, it's up to him._

-------------

Location: Front walk, Kaden residence

Time: Four and a half days later (Friday)

Conan checked on Phibrizzo for what had to have been the tenth time since they left school. All that day, the taller kid had seemed apprehensive about something. Each time Conan questioned him about it, the only response he got was "Tell you later". Something about that response indicated that he didn't really want to tell him, but the shrunken detective wasn't about to let it go.

"Well, guess I'll see you. Thanks for letting me visit Cousin Rachel and Detective Moore tomorrow at lunch," Phibrizzo said politely as he neared the door.

"Glad you can come over," Conan answered in kind. "Now, could you please tell me why you've been acting jittery all day?"

"It's not that important," Phibrizzo replied, shaking his head. He looked down at his bracelet, his eyes shimmering slightly. "Just had a lot on my mind recently. That's all."

"I'll say," Conan said teasingly. "Your handwriting was even sloppier than usual today."

"I said I could _speak_ Japanese fluently," Phibrizzo retorted. "I never gave any indication that I could _write_ it properly."

_That seemed to have cheered him up a little._ "Well, at least you're honest about what you can and can't do. See you tomorrow, Phibrizzo!"

Phibrizzo nodded and waved. "Later, Edogawa."

-----------

Time: 3:50p.m.

It was about time to go. Making sure that the ticket (which was somewhat brittle, but still usable after being dried off) was stashed away in subspace and that he had his fireball T-shirt on, Phibrizzo waved good-bye to Sylvia and left the house at a fast clip. As soon as he was sure that his adoptive mother couldn't see him, Phibrizzo ducked into his usual hiding spot and allowed Curtis to Switch over. After the human gave the signal, Inuyasha pressed the button labeled "Teleport" and sent the trio on their way.

As Phibrizzo took over again, he got his first glimpse of the building that Curtis had homed in on. They had appeared off to one side of the "Gym", out of view of the line stationed at the front door.

Tensing himself, he took his sunglasses out of subspace and put them on before walking out of hiding and getting in line.

Inuyasha began pacing back and forth, sniffing the air. "There's something strange about the air around here," he said uneasily as the line moved forward.

_How so?_

"It doesn't look like it has rained recently," Inuyasha explained, "but for some reason the scent of water is covering everything. Something here's not right."

_The scent of water...Curtis, didn't you say that the gym here specializes in several water variants of those creatures?_

"Yes." Curtis sat down in his chair. "That could probably be what Inuyasha's smelling. We'll know for sure when we get inside."

Time passed on without any further comment. When they got to the front door, Phibrizzo handed over the ticket to the orange-haired cashier. After receiving the ticket stub, he entered the building and made his way to the auditorium.

Phibrizzo examined the stage---or what passed for one---as he worked his way to his seat. There were several large circular platforms in the middle of a large swimming pool/aquarium. Several creatures, one which resembled a starfish and another that looked like a finned dog with a dolphin's tail, could be seen swimming about.

"We still have a few minutes," Curtis said. "You could've gotten a snack before the show started."

_Nah. I'm not hungry._ Phibrizzo sat down next to a taller brown-haired kid and an oversized yellow rodent. _Maybe I'll grab something on the way out. Hey, is that smell still there?_

"Definitely," Inuyasha confirmed. "And it's gotten a lot stronger too. It's mostly coming from those animals down there in the pool."

"Hmmm...can you tell if there's anyone else around with a similar scent? Besides the Pokémon, I mean?" Curtis questioned.

Inuyasha shook his head. "Not really. I can barely see a person swimming around in the pool itself, but that's it."

Before either of the others could respond, a girl's voice blared over a loudspeaker somewhere in the auditorium. "Welcome to the Cerulean Gym, ladies and gentlemen; and thank you for your patience. The show will begin shortly."

As Phibrizzo settled back in his seat, the kid next to him started thumbing through a small booklet. "Let me see...high-quality water arts performed by the finest in aquatic Pokémon; 'Reason to Cheer', a play with Dewgong and Politoed in the lead roles, narrated by Misty; lastly, maritime grace you'll never forget as Laurene Aqua debuts. I wonder what she means by that last part, Sparky..."

"_Pika_," the rodent on his shoulder squeaked.

Phibrizzo decided to ignore Curtis's disbelief, turning toward the taller kid. "Excuse me? Can I see that booklet, please?"

"Ok. Sure," the kid said, handing him the booklet.

Phibrizzo began flipping through the booklet. "High-quality water arts...'Reason to Cheer', blah blah blah...yada yada Laurene Aqua. I thought as much." He gazed around him at the crowd; no question that the event was entirely sold out. "Now I know what a sardine must feel," he growled as he handed the booklet back.

"What's wrong?" the other kid asked. "You don't like this place?"

"It's not really the place so much as the situation, um...what's your name, now?"

"Richie."

"Right. Phibrizzo Kaden. Anyhow, I'm not from around here, so seeing places and creatures like this is very uncomfortable to me. My disliking of water only compounds that."

"Well, then why you are here?" Richie asked, puzzled.

"This past weekend I argued with a criminal, then distracted her while I opened up her pack to a rain shower. One of the things that fell out was a ticket to this event; after everything was said and done, she gave it up as lost and headed for home. I wasn't even going to go, but a few...associates of mine convinced me otherwise."

Richie would've asked more, except an announcement from Misty brought everyone's attention to the center of the gymnasium. The Water Show was about to begin.

---------

As the show went on, Phibrizzo decided that maybe it wasn't so bad after all. While it had its dull points, there were several highlights that he enjoyed.

The doglike marine animal, which Curtis identified as a Vaporeon, repeatedly shot water bullets in order to keep a set of rubber balls in the air. From what he'd learned, the attacks that these creatures used were stronger than they looked. Although Vaporeon's technique as it was now wouldn't do anything more except make him flinch, the same attack at 100 power would wash him down the street. _I'll have to remember this_, he thought as other Pokémon performed various other stunts.

One thing of note that Inuyasha noticed was that the silhouette who'd been swimming in the pool earlier had somehow disappeared. At first, Phibrizzo chalked it up to an illlusion of some sort; but before the next segment began, the trio was in agreement that none of them knew what it really was.

The play, 'Reason to Cheer', was supposed to feature a seal-like animal---Dewgong---trying to fix the problems in his life while his froglike friend kept trying to encourage him. The settings were limited, but the creative dialogue that issued from the narrator more than made up for it. On a scale of one to ten, Phibrizzo decided to give it a seven.

During a break, a yellow duck waddled towards the pool and fell in. After a few seconds of panicked struggling, the girl who'd been in charge of the tickets ran in, rescued him, then gently reprimanded him before taking him off-stage. This amused a great deal of the spectators.

Richie must've caught the smile out the corner of his eye. "So, you're enjoying this?"

"It's a good time-waster, I'll give it that much," Phibrizzo commented, turning his head just a fraction. "I'll have to be sure to come here again when I have more time."

"Along that line," Richie asked, "where are you from? Anywhere around here?"

Phibrizzo just smiled and winked, even though the second action couldn't be seen. "That, mister, is a secret!"

Richie and "Sparky" stared at him for a second, not sure how to react. "Huh," the former murmured as he turned away. "Strange kid." From its spot on his shoulder, the large rat muttered what sounded like an agreement.

"Just what we needed," Curtis said sarcastically. "Another Xellos."

_He may be weird, but I like his attitude,_ Phibrizzo told him as he focused again on the pool. _Just don't expect me to keep my eyes closed most the time. If he hadn't been doing that for centuries, I would've thought it was just his Rezo impression._

"Whoever Xellos is, it's still a scary thought," said Inuyasha, who just sat back against the far end of his chamber.

_You honestly have no idea._

Without warning, most of the lights above the audience flickered and went off. The pool lights, in turn, switched on and cast an eerie glow over the water. The water Pokémon that had populated the aquarium either disappeared somewhere or stayed along the bottom edges of the pool.

Before Phibrizzo could wonder what was going on, the narrator of the play, Misty, started talking again over the P.A. system. "Ladies and gentlemen, have you enjoyed the show so far?"

The audience applauded. Although reluctant, Phibrizzo decided to join in as well.

"That's great! I almost hate to say it, but we only have one more act for the Show today," Misty announced as the audience calmed down. "I'll guarantee you, though, that it's a good one. Everyone, please give a warm welcome to the newest member of the Cerulean Gym, _Lauren Aqua!"_

Something---possibly one of the Pokémon in the pool---caused a whirlpool to form in the water. Squinting a little, Phibrizzo and Curtis could both see the silhouetted swimmer from earlier appear and dart straight into the twister. Instead of being caught in it, the figure instead shot _upwards_ through the pool, launching herself out of the water and eliciting a gasp from the crowd.

Flipping a few times in mid-air, the person---who was most likely Lauren Aqua---executed a three-point landing on the middle platform. Standing up straight, she smiled and waved as if she'd done such stunts all her life.

While the crowd burst into applause at her entrance, Phibrizzo took note of what Lauren looked like...and froze. A twenty-year-old with sharp blue eyes, blue earrings, and thick, ponytailed blue hair that hung near her knees...what looked to be a combination of a dress and casual clothes...the playful intelligence that glittered in those eyes...

Phibrizzo forced himself to settle down. "Too much of a coincidence," he whispered, unheard by everyone around him.

After waiting for the applause from the crowd to die down, Misty continued speaking in a calmer tone. "Miss Aqua is a newcomer to Cerulean, but she has proven herself adept at swimming, dancing, and Pokémon battling. Due to circumstances beyond her control, she is unable to speak; therefore, she will allow the accompanying music to sing for her."

Lauren stretched her arms and folded them in front of her. As if cued by this, a soothing melody began to play over the gym's loudspeakers.

**(BGM - "Caribbean Blue", by Enya)**

In time with the song, Lauren raised one arm at a 45-degree angle while lowering the other at an opposite angle. She stopped them there as the song seemed to fade, then brought her hands together above her head as it began anew. It was there that she shifted flawlessly into the dance, an elegant series of movements that kept everyone focused on her. By the time that the music's vocalist began singing melodiously, it was clear that Lauren knew what she was doing.

Inuyasha shook his head as the chorus filled the space between verses. "Man, when you decide you want to do something, you don't take any half measures..."

"You can say that again," Curtis said, shaking his head in wonder.

_I'd rather you **didn't** say that again,_ Phibrizzo warned. _Quiet and let me concentrate on this!_

Lauren continued to amaze as the song went on. Shortly after its second verse ended, she dived into the water. Her form, which could now be seen by everyone this time, didn't slow down at all as she continued to dance and spin serenely in time with the music.

The Vaporeon that had performed earlier joined in, swimming and spinning in circles around her. As the two reached the surface, a blast of water from below forcibly hurled them skyward. Unperturbed, the Pokémon used her shoulder as a stepping stone to reach the left-most platform. Set into a flip by this act, Lauren continued to do so until she neatly landed on the center platform. Not at all fazed by this sequence, she resumed her waltz.

Phibrizzo tried to stop quivering, but was unable to do so. "Coincidence," he whispered. "It's a coincidence. Has to be."

"The timing of that water blast was no coincidence," Inuyasha growled. "This entire arrangement was planned out. There's no other way they'd be able to pull it off this well."

Inuyasha had no way of knowing this, but the timed attack wasn't what Phibrizzo was referring to.

Lauren raised her arms and held them at angles, briefly illustrating the similarities between the sea and the sky. As the chorus took up the remainder of the song, the Vaporeon tilted its head at an angle and fired a steady stream of water into the air. It descended in a constant drizzle, making it seem as if it was raining around Lauren as she pranced around the platform.

As the song neared its end, the Vaporeon ceased shooting off water and curled up on its platform. Lauren slowly knelt and settled her hands on opposites sides of her own stage, looking as calm as she did when she first started.

All was quiet for about five seconds before the entire audience---sans Phibrizzo---began showering Lauren with accolades and cheers.

----------

For a while, Richie and Sparky were clapping and cheering with everyone else...until the younger kid next to them stood up, clenching his fists. As the lights came back on, he removed his sunglasses and swiped at his eyes hurriedly. "Hey, what's wrong?" Richie asked him.

"Ever laughed so hard you cried?" the kid asked a mite sarcastically. "I think I just experienced something like that. Listen, can I burrow your hat for a few seconds? There's something I need to do."

Richie removed his hat. "What's that?" he asked, handing it to him.

"Getting that woman's attention," Phibrizzo said as the two of them (three, counting Sparky) edged their way towards the stairs.

"Who? You mean Lauren?"

When they reached the stairs, Phibrizzo uttered something in a cold voice. Richie edged a little closer and asked him to repeat it...and drew in his breath at what the kid had told him.

_Lauren Aqua's not her real name? If that's true, how would he know that? Something's going on here!_

--------

As the crowd dispersed and Misty thanked everyone for attending, Phibrizzo snuck down to the bottom rows. So far, it didn't look like 'Lauren' had seen him yet.

"So, how are you going to get her attention?" Richie asked quietly, stepping down behind him.

"There are a few things I know about that woman," Phibrizzo muttered. "If she reacts the way I think she will, then I can catch her off guard."

Richie tensed, suspicious. "What are you planning?"

Phibrizzo waved him off, putting his sunglasses and Richie's hat on. Down on the pool, Lauren had dived into the water only to resurface almost immediately, climbing out of the pool and calmly strolling towards one of the doors. The Vaporeon trailed along behind her.

_Perfect,_ he thought, taking a tennis ball out of subspace. _Let's see what happens next._

--------

'Lauren' had nearly made it to the door when a panicked voice called her. Turning to see who it was, she saw a dark-haired kid with sunglasses and a blue hat pointing at the pool. "There's something in the water!" he shouted. "It looks green!"

Gritting her teeth, she doubled back and dived into the pool, her Vaporeon close behind. She rotated her head every which way, but she didn't see what the kid was talking about until her eyes noticed something bobbing on the surface. Floating back up, she resurfaced and took hold of the green object she saw. _A tennis ball? Whose lame idea of a joke is this?_

Before she could begin fuming over this, something landed on the ground nearby. At first, the person didn't look familiar; it was wearing black pants and a violet shirt emblazoned with a fireball, was in desperate need of a haircut, and was wearing a blue wristband, multi-piece bracelet, hat, and sunglasses...

Hold that thought. _Blue wristband? Now that I think about it..._

The person took off his hat and tossed it into the waiting hands of a not-quite teenager. The first kid then took his sunglasses and put them inside its case before sticking it in his pocket. Having done that, he smiled broadly and appeared as cute and innocent as he could. "Deep Sea Dolphin! How have you been?"

Her eyes widened and dilated. _It's him! Why, that little---!_

-------------

From Richie's point of view, Phibrizzo wasn't sure how to react when the woman he'd addressed as 'Deep Sea Dolphin' climbed out of the water, reached down and hugged him. Sweatdropping, he protested: "Um...okay, I know it's been a while since I saw you, but you don't need to---"

Phibrizzo's statement turned into a startled squawk as 'Dolphin' grabbed one of his arms from behind his back and hurled him with startling ease into the pool's farthest end, looking vastly irritated at something.

After gasping at what had just happened, Richie and Sparky ducked beneath the guardrail to check on him, very nearly slipping in the process. They need not have worried; Phibrizzo's head broke the water after a few seconds. Wiping water out of his eyes, he remarked off-handedly: "Wow. She took that rather well. Glad she hasn't changed."

"So you _knew_ she was going to do that?" Richie deadpanned, annoyed.

Phibrizzo shook some wet hair out of his eyes. "Yep. Why? Something wrong with---hey, this water's cold!" he suddenly yelled, his eyes bugging out.

Richie sighed out a mushroom cloud. "...Never mind."

--------

_Chapter Eight concluded. Chapter Nine soon to commence_

Author's Notes

In case you're curious, the books that Phibrizzo was reading in the flashback were indeed _The Odyssey_ and _The Iliad_. Don't ask how he got them, 'cause I have no idea.

The description of Deep Sea Dolphin isn't an official one; it's just something I made up, so don't go telling me that it isn't true. I'm already aware of that. I just thought that since so little is known about her, I had a little bit of leeway.

Before anyone asks, I left out the lyrics to "Caribbean Blue". Do a Google search on them if you want to know what they are.

Heh, heh. Whatever you do, don't count mazoku. The mental imagery is ludicrous. "Baa...that is a secret..." Besides, can _you_ imagine Gaav bleating like a sheep?


	16. Chapter Nine

WHAT INSERTION?

by Curtis Wildcat

_Chapter Nine _--- A Mazoku Out of Water

--------

**(Cue theme)**

--------

Location: Cerulean City

Time: Ten minutes after Chapter Eight's conclusion

A little orange creature with a white mane of fur scanned both ends of the street before deciding it had never been so lost.

Flareon had once been a valued member of a trainer's team. It had stumbled upon a lone human traveling somewhere six months ago and had wound up getting caught. It had done well in battling for a while after that, but that soon changed; after a rash of losses against stronger opponents, the trainer (who apparently didn't know the first thing about taking care of Pokémon) got mad and set it loose. Today, it was wandering around the city, trying to find a Pokémon Center---it knew good people when it saw them---when it caught a whiff of smoke. It had followed the scent this far, but it seemed to have vanished.

Shaking its head, Flareon continued on, taking care to avoid any pedestrians. Gazing down the road, it sighted a familiar landmark: the Cerulean City gym. It knew this place; its trainer had made the mistake of using it against the leader's water-types, and it had gotten wiped out rather handily.

Something tickled its nose, getting it twitching. _What's that---hey, it's smoke! Must be the same scent! And where there's smoke...there's fire!_ Without another second's thought, it ducked around and behind several people between him and the gym doors. _Wonder what it is?_

Grunting, Flareon tried to open the doors with all its strength. Not succeeding, it wandered around the gym until it found a window open a slight crack. Aften about fifteen seconds, it managed to nudge it open wider and squeeze through.

------------

A kid with black hair (it seemed to reflect light, oddly enough) and a large towel wrapped around him glared across the table. A woman with lengthy sea-blue hair glared back, unfazed; her hand hovered over a pen and notepad. Caught between them, Richie and Misty couldn't do much else but blink nervously.

Phibrizzo turned to Misty. "Let me see if I have this straight. A few weeks ago after you took the reins here at the gym---pun not intended---you woke up in the middle of the night and found her lying unconscious in the pool."

"Yes, that's right."

"When she woke up, she tried to talk but couldn't. You wanted someone to help take care of the water-types here, so after some one-sided conversation she agreed to help---she attracts those things like I attract idiocy anyway, so it worked out to everyone's advantage in the end."

"I don't know about the idiocy part, but that's the gist of it," Misty said, unsure of where this was going. In her arms, Togepi squealed his agreement.

"And since she couldn't talk, you went to a local library and checked out a book on sign language. You used whatever spare time you had to get the hang of everything in there, and helped her out with that."

"Yes."

Phibrizzo threw one of his hands up in irritation; Misty noticed that he still had his bracelet on his wrist (he'd said it used to be a whole bracelet, but he'd accidentally broken it). "I'm convinced. If she wasn't a nut before, she was now."

"What do you mean, 'nut'?" Richie asked, impatient.

"I'm curious, too," Misty added, a trifle suspicious. "How do you know Lauren, anyway?"

"Her name's not Lauren," Phibrizzo stated, irritable. "Her name's Deep Sea Dolphin, and she's my sister. Whatever name she gave you is nothing more than a fake to help her blend in with society. If she wants to keep going by that name, fine. I've known her a lot longer than you have, though, so don't discourage me any."

That reaction shook Misty a little, but she didn't show it; Richie seemed both annoyed and interested in what he'd said. In the meantime 'Dolphin' wrote something down and passed the notepad to Phibrizzo, who read it aloud: "'How long has it been since you got here?' Around three weeks, give or take a few days. Why?"

Dolphin's expression changed totally. Her eyes bugged out and she pretended to yell, then stretched out her hands towards Phibrizzo and pulled them in. She then relaxed and pretended to doze off on the table, then perked up and waited for her brother's response.

Her brother just looked puzzled as he tossed the notepad back. "I don't do charades very well, but I think you're saying you fell asleep while playing tug-of-war with a deranged gargoyle."

Misty and Richie struggled to stay standing as Dolphin smacked Phibrizzo with the notepad. Shaking her head, the woman closed her eyes for a second and smiled. After tapping her chin with the pen thoughtfully, she scrawled a lengthier message beneath the first one before dishing off the notepad.

Richie grabbed another chair and sat down next to Phibrizzo, leaning over to read the message. "I was out of my mind a couple weeks ago, but something calmed me...can't explain it. Felt completely exhausted and fell asleep. Before I knew it, she was pulling me out of the water. Didn't know where I was...felt stressed and confused. Water creatures were wondering who I was, the Vaporeon in particular. Accepted that I wouldn't be home for a while, decided to be with them."

This statement interested Misty. "You mean you were insane? How come?"

Dolphin just shook her head, while Phibrizzo stared at them unreadably. "Excuse me. How long do you think it will be before my stuff is done drying off?" he asked. "I do have a bit of a curfew."

"What time?"

"Six o'clock. I was adopted not too long ago, and my foster mom's pretty strict as far as getting-home-time goes."

Misty checked a clock that hung near the bathroom door. "Well, it's 5:05 now...they should be done drying off in about twenty minutes, I think."

"Alright; great. Be back in a few seconds," Phibrizzo said, getting up and heading into the bathroom.

Misty glanced concernedly at him for a few seconds. "He seems rather odd," she said quietly. As Dolphin rolled her eyes, the gym leader turned away and greeted Richie with a smile. "So, Richie, what brings you to Cerulean City?"

Richie sat down in the chair that Phibrizzo had just vacated. "Well, after I finished up at the Whirl Islands, I caught a ferry to the Hoenn region. I went around for a bit before I heard an advertisement for---"

The conversation proved to be short-lived as Phibrizzo suddenly backpedaled out of the bathroom, not stopping until he hit the far wall. "Miss," he nearly shouted, alarmed, "I thought you only trained water-types here!"

Everyone, Togepi included, blinked. "I do," Misty confirmed. "Not counting Togepi, of course, but---"

"Well, there's a _fire_-type sitting on my clothes in front of the heater!" the angry kid snapped, looking seriously ticked.

By now, both Misty and Richie were getting fed up with his attitude. When both of them hesitated to check what he meant, Dolphin took her notepad and pen and got up to see for herself. After peeking inside, she leaned back in and waved them in, smirking.

Of all the things that Misty expected to see as she followed the direction of Dolphin's hand, she certainly wasn't expecting this. Where Phibrizzo's pants and shirt were neatly folded in front of the heater, a Flareon was curled up on them. Its eyes seemed to be locked on the boy standing behind them; it barely even acknowledged the others' arrival.

"I don't get it. What's a Flareon doing in here?" Richie asked, confused.

Dolphin snapped her fingers, and the Vaporeon that had taken a liking to her sauntered into the room. She mouthed something inaudible, then gestured towards the Flareon. Getting the hint, the Vaporeon entered the bathroom and began conversing with the fire-type in its own language.

"No offense, Deep Sea, but how's a one-way conversation going to help?" Phibrizzo asked, still sounding nervous.

Dolphin just smirked and tapped her forehead. Phibrizzo calmed down, emitting an "Ohhh. Almost forgot" in understanding.

"Sounds like you know about it, too," Misty told him. "She's somehow able to understand how water Pokémon communicate with each other."

"Understandable," Phibrizzo murmured. "Caught her talking to a goldfish once. I can only imagine what your own reaction must've been."

The Vaporeon turned back to Dolphin and crooned something to her. Nodding, the long-haired woman jotted something down in the notepad and turned to show it to everyone. Phibrizzo inched closer to see what it said, as did everyone else.

Richie's Pikachu, Sparky, was the first to blink at the statements scrawled on the notepad; his trainer followed suit seconds later. "'The window was open'? 'That green-eyed boy smells like fire'? What does that mean?"

Everyone turned to Phibrizzo, who shook his head repeatedly. "I didn't do it!"

"We're not accusing you of anything," Richie said, sounding a bit put off at the kid's attitude. "Have you noticed anything strange at all recently?"

"Beats me," Phibrizzo growled, his young face stern; the others took note that his eye color seemed to hover between yellow and green. "Whole lots of crazy stuff has been happening to me recently. I've been hitting my head on stuff at least once a day. There's this kleptomanic girl that started chasing me and calling me 'Julien'." Dolphin was grinning widely when he said this, but he kept going. "My best friend is a pint-sized detective. An agent of Team Rocket hates me. My new aunt is a lawyer---"

Misty cut him off, surprised. "Hold on a second. You've met up with Team Rocket before? When was this?"

Dolphin scribbled something and held it up for them to see. 'Your new aunt is a lawyer?'

"Talk about a small world." Phibrizzo folded his arms the best he could. "Richie, you remember what I said earlier about getting that Water Show ticket from a criminal? I'm gonna explain, so you people might as well sit down."

Curious, the trio sat down in their original chairs. Dolphin's Vaporeon leapt onto the table and sat against the woman's arm.

"It started with my school principal...sort of. She'd gotten a pamphlet describing Cerulean City from her nephew, who takes a lot of accidental tours of Japan and the like. She'd asked an associate of mine to give it back to him, and the two of us went to where he'd most likely turn up. While I was there, I..." Phibrizzo's sour look faded, to be replaced by apprehension and nervousness. "Um...how should I put this..." He sighed. "Well, lets just say I took on an Arcanine and leave it at that."

"Took it on, how?" Richie asked. "It didn't look like you had any Pokémon with you."

"I don't have any."

"Well, then how did you manage to fight an Arcanine? This doesn't make any sense!" Misty protested.

Dolphin jotted something else down. 'Get to the part about the lawyer!'

Phibrizzo sighed again. "You do realize I'm not from Cerulean City, do you?"

Everyone nodded yes. "I figured as much, since you said you didn't like water a lot," Richie remarked.

"Would you believe that of all the places in the world I could've moved to, I had to wind up in Tokyo, Japan?" Phibrizzo asked, averting his eyes. "At the very least, that'll explain why I don't have any Pokémon." As an aside, he added: "Although if I had to choose, I kind of like the fire-types I've seen so far..."

"Well, we don't get visitors from mainland Japan too often," Misty said, interested. "So, how did you manage to fight the Arcanine?"

"I'd give a demonstration for you, but I'd need more room for that, and I'm not exactly in a condition to go elsewhere right now," Phibrizzo explained. "And chances are that Dolphin's the only one who'd believe me if I said it aloud." He turned to her. "Right?"

Dolphin held up the notepad. 'What about the lawyer?'

"You and your lawyers," Phibrizzo groaned disbelievingly. "Just answer my question!"

His sister raised her left hand to show that Phibrizzo wasn't right.

"What, you don't think you'd believe me either? Fine," the boy grumbled. He reached as far across the table as he could without leaning over. "Dolphin, grab my hand."

The woman shrugged before doing so.

Phibrizzo braced himself. "Now, pull my hand as hard as you can."

Dolphin arched an eyebrow...then grabbed the pen and scribbled something on his arm.

There was a little shriek of surprise. "Ack! Hey! Stop that!" Phibrizzo shouted, trying to pry his hand loose but failing. Gritting his teeth, he stepped backward...and kept going. Strange thing was, so did his arm. His hand stayed where it was, but...

Richie's mouth fell open. "Wha...!"

Misty's reaction was much the same. "What? Impossible! No way!"

"Yes way...Dolphin, stop writing on my arm!" Phibrizzo protested. "What---hey, that's blue ink! Mom's gonna have a conniption! Blast it, fish face---let me go!"

-------

Hearing the commotion, the Flareon reluctantly left the place where it had been sitting (leaving behind a substantially drier set of clothes, thanks to its abnormally high body temperature). After being startled out of its wits by seeing a long-armed kid---the same one he'd tracked down---trying unsuccessfully to free his hand, he leaped onto the table to speak with the Vaporeon.

With many Pokémon, what trainers hear is their own name being repeated. Hidden there, though, is a rather complexing and confusing language; this is what they use to communicate. Right now, the two were taking advantage of that.

The Flareon spoke first. 'Excuse me, but what's going on here?'

'I think my trainer was right about her being insane,' the Vaporeon replied sadly, still staring at the blue-haired woman. 'She's drawing on the kid's arm, and she's not letting go. I'd help, but there are a lot of things she likes to do by herself.'

'Do I have permission to distract her, then?'

'If you really want to risk her fury, go on ahead. I want nothing to do with this.'

-------

A disgruntled Phibrizzo heard the two of them chattering. _What are they going on about?_ he asked as he tried to get loose.

"I don't speak Pokémonese," Curtis replied, covering his smile with one hand. "I guess we'll find out, though."

Curtis was right. Once the two were done talking, Flareon turned to face Dolphin and spat out a Flamethrower attack without hesitation.

------

Oddly enough, Dolphin was unharmed from the Flareon's attack. Her face was turned a dark gray, however, and she had finally decided to let go of Phibrizzo's hand. She also looked mildly annoyed, but that didn't register with anyone; they were too surprised with the impromptu demonstration to notice.

Phibrizzo's arm snapped back to its normal length. He examined his wrist and hand to see what Dolphin had written, moving his bracelet out of the way as he did so. Abruptly, the air around him seemed to heat up. "Sister," he said very calmly, "what's the meaning of this?"

Sparky's ears twitched rapidly, and he took a few steps back nervously. "_Pi-kaaa_," he moaned, not liking what he was seeing.

"Excuse me, but what was she writing on your arm?" Misty asked, looking somewhat apprehensive herself as she stood up.

"'Writing', nothing," Phibrizzo growled, turning to face her and Richie. Several veins were standing out on his head as he snarled, "She was doodling a picture of a minnow with a happy face on it!"

Sweatdrops all around, except for Dolphin; the woman just sat in her chair, smiling gently and looking as innocent as possible. The Flareon that had been on the table jumped onto the floor and rubbed against Phibrizzo's ankles, whining softly.

With all his might, Phibrizzo managed to get his temper under control. Releasing all his anger in one deep sigh, he stared down at the Flareon. "So I can understand you...tack that on to the list of crazy stuff that's been happening to me. I guess it's not just Nerima after all."

The others didn't know what that meant, but they did set it aside for future reference. Finally getting over their surprise, they calmed themselves enough to sit back down. "I don't know if I get it, but it's a pretty neat trick," Richie commented. "Was there anything else about the fight?"

"Come to think of it, yeah," Phibrizzo said, making sure to stand as far away from Dolphin as possible. "That Arcanine was wearing some type of weird collar around its neck. It was supposed to augment all its abilities---speed, its attack and defensive powers...the works. Unfortunately, there was something in the collar itself that was making it extremely irritable and upset. I was able to make it mad enough to blast me, but I grabbed the collar as it did so and got out of the way. I pulled the device off and punched it until it stopped working, and after that the fire dog calmed down and stopped attacking me."

Phibrizzo's face darkened. "Then _she_ appeared."

"She?" Richie and Misty inquired. The Vaporeon and Flareon both asked the question in their own language, as well.

"Real unethical lady. She had the nerve to try to get _me_ to join Team Rocket." He scowled. "I don't like flowers. Don't like them at all."

"Flowers?"

"Yeah. Flowers. Especially Black Tulips. Does the name 'Domino' ring a bell at all, miss?"

Misty knew that name, alright; the blonde-haired woman had been a major thorn to deal with during a certain incident in the Johto region. Her eyes widened as she realized who Phibrizzo had faced. "I know who you're talking about. Curly blonde hair, carries a sharpened flower, has a red and white cap?"

"The one and only. As far as I know, she's one of Team Rocket's best agents. Anyhow, after I flat-out told her to stick a sock in it, I accused her of being crazy just for showing up where she did..."

Phibrizzo took a few minutes to explain what happened, briefly describing the fight between Domino and another woman called 'The Black Rose', how he got the Water Show ticket, and the events that took place afterwards. He also mentioned that the Arcanine that had attacked him was safely delivered back home and released.

"Anyhow, I'm not sure why Domino had that ticket to begin with," Phibrizzo confessed. "I don't know whether she just wanted to see the Water Show herself or if she had some sort of plan to steal the gym's Pokémon."

Dolphin folded her arms and shot Phibrizzo a look that meant one thing to Misty: if anyone was going to steal the Pokémon here, they'd have to deal with her first.

"If I know Team Rocket, probably the latter," Misty decided.

Richie agreed. "I don't think they'd pick up a ticket just for the entertainment value, unless they'd be able to get just as much back. This Domino person is likely no exception."

Dolphin arched an eyebrow at the two, then scribbled something down and showed it to them. 'Brother, when are you going to tell me about the lawyer?'

"You ever try red herring before?" Phibrizzo deadpanned, sweatdropping. "I hear it's delicious."

More scribbling. 'In that case, could I have your home address? I'd like to visit you sometime.'

Phibrizzo shrugged, reaching for the pen and notepad. "Sure, if you don't mind the trip," he said, writing down his address. "Just stay out of the Nerima district unless you want to go insane again."

Dolphin arched an eyebrow.

"Yeah, it's that bad...on the other hand---"

There was a knock at the door.

"Come in! Who is it?" Misty called.

The door from the hallway to the kitchen opened, allowing everyone to see who it was. A blonde-haired young woman in tourist attire stepped through. "I don't mean to be a bother, but can I use your restroom?"

Misty smiled. "Sure. Go on ahea---"

_**"YOU!"**_

Misty and Richie's heads spun towards Phibrizzo, whose face looked much more piercing than before. There was something that seemed off about him...

----------

The woman's eyes widened. _He_ was here! Why couldn't he just settle for staying at home? "What are you doing here?"

"Talking to my sister, you dolt," Phibrizzo snarled. "I don't know why you're here, Domino, but you're not wanted. Scram!"

Domino's left eye twitched minutely as two of the others gasped; she took note that the blue-haired woman didn't make any noise. "How'd you know it was me?"

Phibrizzo's angry look didn't change. "So you changed your hairstyle. Who cares? Your face and voice haven't changed; and quite frankly, I don't like your voice at all! Take a hike so that I don't have to listen to it!"

"I'm staying right here, kid," Domino replied calmly, not letting the others know how upset she was. "I still owe you for that stunt you pulled earlier. I may not entirely understand how you bested me, but I plan on taking full advantage of it this time!" She unhooked a Great Ball from inside her sleeve and activated it. "Feraligatr, come on out!"

With a red flare of light, the massive blue alligator Pokémon materialized. It growled deeply, then prepared itself for battle.

Phibrizzo didn't quite have the reaction Domino was expecting, however. **_"Get that thing out of here!"_** he screamed. The statement's absolute force blasted back the gym leader's hair and sent the other kid's hat flying, as well as startling the Feraligatr into jumping up several feet. Three other Pokémon in the room scurried for cover, and the girl's Togepi began crying. The older woman, Domino saw, seemed unfazed.

"Why should I?" Domino asked, sneering.

"Because, brainless, I'm not about to fight you in the state I am now! You mean it's not obvious?" Phibrizzo griped. "Your revenge is just going to have to wait until my stuff dries off!"

"_What did you just call me?_"

"You heard every word I said! Whoever tries to recruit a kid into a criminal organization must've donated their brain to rocket science without asking for a refund! It's not just unethical---it's asinine!" the kid argued, backing towards the bathroom. "Now stay there, and _don't leave the building!_"

Phibrizzo backed into the bathroom and slammed the door, finalizing his statement. "Smart-aleck, loud-mouthed brat," Domino growled as the girl tried to calm the Togepi she held. "That kid's got quite the attitude."

The nearby woman just shrugged, her smile giving away her embarrassment.

Richie straightened out his hair and retrieved his hat. "So, now what? Should we make her leave?" he asked his Pikachu, who nodded and began sparking with electricity.

Before the Pikachu could fire off its attack, the blue-haired woman got up and jumped over the table. Upon her landing, the Vaporeon scampered from beneath the table and took a ready position at her feet. The woman then proceeded to say something silently. Thank goodness for lip reading.

_Let's see...'Leave my brother be. Instead, let us see whose Pokémon deserves to have a trainer: yours, or mine.' She's quite confident in her abilities, isn't she?_ "You against me? Fine. This isn't the place for a battle, though. We'll settle this in the auditorium."

Domino wasn't sure what to think when the woman's expression became vaguely sinister. For that matter, the others probably felt the same way too.

--------------

_So we aren't going to bring the subject up again. Right?_

"Right," Curtis said, nodding. "Since we can't let anyone know that your digestive system ends at the stomach, we have to make sure that _everyone_ thinks you're human, special abilities notwithstanding. I think we can agree on that, no problem."

Phibrizzo finished getting ready. _Alright. Besides that, I still find humans downright embarrassing. Anyway, it looks like that Flareon helped out more than I thought; my stuff's almost completely dry._ _So, what's this thing you've been working on since Monday?_

Curtis smiled knowingly. "At some point, you may need to become versed in Pokémon battling. It took a few tries, but I think I've managed to come up with something that'll help you out a bit. If that Flareon's still around, I'll be able to demonstrate it for you."

A quiet sigh issued forth. _Man, I hate it when you start acting like that._

"Acting like what?"

_This isn't reality for you; it's just a dream, right? Well, I hate it when you obtain knowledge while you're awake and then use it while you're asleep. Case in point: those attacks you showed me the last few days that take advantage of my new stretching ability. I think you're acting like you're above it all, knowing more about things than I do! I don't like that!_

Curtis remained silent for a minute, looking thoughtful. "Well," he finally spoke, "I'll pass the ball to you, then."

"_Huh?_" Inuyasha and Phibrizzo inquired at the same time.

"Basketball terminology. The ball's in your court now, Phibrizzo," Curtis clarified, causing a glass of water to materialize. "Think about what you would do in this situation and act on it. Your sister's battling one of Team Rocket's best agents; Domino's bound to be an extremely tough opponent, despite Dolphin's 'proficiency at Pokémon battling'. Since I've never seen Domino battle, none of us knows what kind of strategy she uses. If Dolphin loses, it'll be up to you to back her up. However, you don't know more than the first thing about battling; and even if you did, the only Pokémon you could possibly use would be that Flareon that's lurking around. What would you do in this situation?" He gulped down some of the water.

_Hmmm...good question. I probably have an answer, but why are you telling me this?_

Curtis coughed a few times. "I don't like being accused of being a know-it-all just because I know a few things or can figure a few things out. There's a whole lot of stuff I _don't_ know..."

"Like why that ice skater girl was smitten with him?" Inuyasha asked. "Like that?"

"Exactly."

Phibrizzo narrowed his eyes, reining in his temper. _Get to the point!_

"My point is that there's always going to be stuff you don't know, things you can't figure out. If I'd just disclosed the details of what I'd been working on without warning you first, I wouldn't have any way of knowing what's to follow if I hadn't." He shrugged. "And even though I gave you the gist of what I'd made, I'm not going to know what's going to happen if I use it now. Like I said: the ball's in your court. I've given you the situation at hand. What are you going to do?"

Phibrizzo leaned against the wall, one hand on his chin. _I wonder..._

----------

Flareon watched apprehensively as the Cerulean gym leader, the criminal, the trainer, and their respective Pokémon left the kitchen en route to the main auditorium. He thought for a second about following them, but ultimately decided not to. The fire-scented boy he'd followed was still around, and something had happened that the Pokémon hadn't expected:

The boy had understood him. It didn't know why, but he did. Until it figured out what was going on, it was staying right here.

After a few more moments the bathroom door opened, and the boy re-entered the kitchen and sat down. Flareon let its eyes stare into his. 'You seem uncertain. Is something bothering you?' it asked in its own language.

The boy swallowed nervously. "Well, yeah. I need to intercept that criminal somehow. You think you could help me?"

Flareon hesitated. 'Promise not to yell at me? My last trainer had this thing with yelling. I didn't like it at all.'

"Well, I've never done any of this...Pokémon battling before," the boy said, "so we're both in the same boat, so to speak. That's really what I need your help with."

'Really?'

More hesitation, this time on the boy's part. It seemed to Flareon as if he was reluctant to admit what he was about to say. "Yes. I don't know the first thing about Pokémon attacks other than what I've faced firsthand, for instance. There's a lot more to it, right?"

Flareon nodded. 'You bet. If I tell you what I know, will you tell me why you smell like fire?'

The boy blinked. "Do I smell like fire to you? I haven't even noticed."

'You haven't? You smell like you've been to a bonfire, but none of the others in the room seem to have noticed, not even the Vaporeon.'

"Okay, that's something else I don't get." The boy got off the chair, choosing instead to sit on the floor near the Flareon. "But I'll worry about my confusion later." He smiled brightly. "Glad to meet you. I'm Phibrizzo Kaden. Now, let's get down to business, shall we?"

---------

At the far end of the gym, the blue-haired woman freed the ponytails in her hair and gave the signal that she was ready. It wasn't until now that Domino realized how long the woman's hair was; the whole lot of it spilled into the water. _Why'd she do that, though? It's not like it'll help her any. Is she just overly proud of her own beauty?_

The T.R. agent took a second to reanalyze the situation. Her Feraligatr---retrieved before she left on her vacation---was one of the strongest Pokémon she had. By comparison, her opponent's Vaporeon seemed insignificant; but the Black Tulip hadn't gotten as far as she did by underestimating her foes.

She made the mistake of doing that once, and had gotten into a fight she hadn't wanted. She wasn't about to do that again.

In the stands, the gym leader and the kid trainer kept a close eye on everything that went on. For some reason, the leader looked strangely familiar; but each time she tried to remember who she was, the memory kept slipping out of her reach.

She shook her head. _Focus, Domino._ "Let's cut to the chase! Feraligatr, dive in!"

As the giant water lizard obeyed, Domino watched as the woman smiled and pointed towards the water. On cue, her opponent's Vaporeon followed Feraligatr into the water and closed in on it. It was then that the blue-haired woman did something completely unexpected:

She hopped backwards off her platform and into the water.

_Okay, that's new. I didn't see a breathing apparatus anywhere within reach. Why's she going underwater too?_ Frowning, Domino decided what to do. "Alright, then! Brick Break!"

The Feraligatr darted forward with the intention of landing strategic punches on its enemy. At its speed, it didn't look like the Vaporeon was going to be able to dodge in time...

A young yet powerful, feminine voice cut through the water: "Jetsam, Double Water Pulse."

Vaporeon disappeared, leaving behind a flurry of afterimages and allowing it to dodge Feraligatr's attack entirely. After waiting a few seconds for the alligator to become sufficiently confused, all the afterimages opened their mouths and released what could be called an 'ultrasonic water wave'.

Domino gasped. _That move...! It's able to fire off its attacks while maintaining the illusion of a Double Team! At that speed, there's no way to tell exactly where the real attack is coming from! That shouldn't even be possible, since even high-level _Pokémon _have to shift their concentration from one move to the other!_

All the afterimages vanished as the real Water Pulse hit its mark, doing some damage but confusing the Feraligatr at the same time. The real Vaporeon reappeared off to the Feraligatr's left side, panting a little but still able to fight. The woman spoke again: "I know it's hard, Jetsam, but by the time a few weeks have gone by...these combination moves will seem like child's play to you."

_Wait! She couldn't talk before, so I'd assumed she was mute! Why's she talking now?_ "What's going on here?" Domino yelled. "Can you talk, or can't you?"

The woman floated off to the side so that Domino could see her. Her hair, which was nearly a meter longer than she was tall, almost seemed to blend with her as she swam. "That's the funny thing with my voice," she said. "When I came to Cerulean City just over two weeks ago, I thought I'd lost it; you have no idea how devestating that was to me. I later found out that I wasn't mute, at least not entirely."

"Not entirely?" Domino heard the kid trainer ask disbelievingly. "What's she talking about?"

"I discovered that my voice is at a frequency that humans can't hear. It instead falls into a range that water-type Pokémon---and some others, too---can pick up. When I'm beneath the waves, my voice's frequency is somehow changed. Don't ask me why---I fancy myself a great swimmer, but I can't tell a phone jack from an electrical outlet."

Domino ignored the woman's little attempt at humor. _I'll admit to being curious about the physics involved, but Feraligatr should've shaken off its confusion by now. Questions can wait!_ "Feraligatr, Hydro Pump!"

Proving Domino's guess correct, the alligator turned towards Vaporeon and assailed it with a massive blast of water.

The woman folded her arms. "Take the blast, Jetsam."

Obeying her, the Vaporeon let itself get hit by the high-pressure Hydro Pump. The attack's momentum pushed it all the way back against the wall, but the Pokémon braced itself and waited for the Feraligatr's attack to subside. Five seconds later, subside it did; blinking its eyes, it flipped a few times with renewed vigor.

Before anyone could question what just happened, the woman clarified it for them. "Just by way of explanation, Jetsam is immune to attacks of her own type. Instead, they only make her stronger, as you'll soon see. Hidden Power!"

Glowing a bright yellow, the Vaporeon released multiple orbs of energy in all directions. Some of them fizzled out harmlessly when they came into contact with the pool's walls, but the rest of them sizzled as they came into contact with the Feraligatr. The alligator grimaced as it floated backwards, traces of electricity running up and down its hide.

Domino's eyes narrowed. _This woman's tough. I need to do something to turn the match in my favor, but what?_

-----------

Phibrizzo stared at the Flareon from over his shoulder, one eyebrow raised. "So, you're saying that's all there really is to it?"

A nod. 'Exactly. Some basic knowledge of your Pokémon's skills is needed, but for the most part it's all mental. I can't say that it's done _me_ a lot of good, but I've seen it work for others.'

As the Flareon explained the basic facts of Pokémon battling, Phibrizzo had decided to find something to drink. Seeing a nearby coffee machine and finding a packet of coffee beans, he'd decided to try some coffee---he'd heard it tasted bland, but it was a better alternative to a sugar-induced energy rush. Before long, and with help from the Flareon's Ember attack to heat the water, the coffee was almost done.

"Sounds neat and all," Phibrizzo said, "but I suspect it's probably going to be a one-time thing. Where I live I haven't seen any Pokémon, so either they aren't allowed there or the citizens don't know about their existence. In short, I won't be able to take you with me when I go home." He eyed a nearby clock. "Almost half past...I'll need to be home by six," he groused, turning back to the pot that was steadily filling itself with coffee. "Talk about a tight schedule."

'So, what's your plan going to be?' the Flareon piped up.

"Huh? Plan?"

'You want to stop that woman, right? This is the first time I've ever seen a Team Rocket person, but they sound mean. I want to help, too.'

Phibrizzo waited a minute as the pot finished filling itself, then grabbed a nearby cup and helped himself to the coffee. As he took a taste, both eyebrows went up. _Say, this isn't half bad. I thought it was going to be worse._ "Well, alright. You can understand that I'm not human, right?"

'You mean that little stretching trick you did earlier? Can't imagine a human doing that.'

"Well, I'm not human...not fully, anyhow." Phibrizzo smiled smugly. "Along that line, there's a neat little combo that the two of us can do in conjunction."

'What kind of combo?'

"Let's just say it involves you shooting your Flamethrower at _me_ instead of the opposing Pokémon..."

Flareon's mouth fell open as he sat there, dumbfounded.

--------

The woman didn't allow Domino to think of any weak points in her strategy. "Jetsam...Frozen Lake!"

_Frozen Lake? That's not good!_ "Feraligatr, get out of the water, now!"

Recovering from the electrical Hidden Power, Feraligatr swam back up and resurfaced---just as the opposing Vaporeon released a torrent of water, layered with dozens of ice shards for good measure. The lizard dodged most of the blast, although the water in the pool severely dropped in temperature.

"You're not the only one who can strike hard around here," Domino warned. _Time to put the freeze on her! _"Ice the water with Blizzard!"

Feraligatr hauled itself out of the pool and onto one of the platforms, then readied itself to attack.

"Not fast enough, foolish girl. Torpedo, straight up!"

The instant Feraligatr fired a steady stream of ice particles into the water, the Vaporeon lived up to its attack's name by propelling itself at maximum speed straight out of the pool, scattering water everywhere and forcing everyone to dodge the effects. On its way down, the dog-like water Pokémon made a perfect landing...right on Feraligatr's head, halting the Blizzard before the pool itself could completely freeze over.

Domino's eyes widened. "Feraligatr! Shake it off and attack with Ancient Power!"

"You'll never have the time to. You know what to do, Jetsam," the woman said coldly.

What 'Jetsam' did was lean forward far enough to be in Feraligatr's field of view and immediately disgorge a Hydro Pump of its own, knocking the alligator out from under it and doing some additional damage at the same time. The Vaporeon flipped in mid-air and landed to face the Feraligatr, which was having trouble keeping itself balanced near the edge of the platform.

_In its present condition, Feraligatr won't be able to dodge again. I'm only going to have one shot at this!_ Steeling herself, Domino shouted: "Crunch attack, and fast!"

Feraligatr growled and opened its mouth wide, revealing a massive set of gleaming jaws. The alligator didn't waste any time, immediately plunging down and grasping the Vaporeon between its teeth.

The woman wasn't worried, though. "That was a doltish thing to do. Jetsam, Toxic."

A sickly violet haze surrounded the Vaporeon---and by extension, Feraligatr. The lizard maintained its grip as long as it could, but soon had no choice but to release its enemy. As the poison's effect took its toll, it staggered backwards a few steps before finally collapsing with a **thud**.

-----------

Misty smiled, more than pleased at the outcome. "See, Richie? That's why I said earlier that she was proficient at battling. Her style actually reminds me a lot of Prima's."

"From the Elite Four? Say, maybe _she_ could join them!" Richie added, chuckling.

"I'm happy right where I am, thank you," Dolphin remarked snidely, floating towards the pool's surface. "Just hanging around right here in Cerulea---" The rest of her statement was cut off as she resurfaced, no longer able to be heard by anyone other than the water-types in the gym.

The four them---counting Sparky and Togepi---turned their eyes to Domino. The Team Rocket agent numbly recalled the defeated Feraligatr and stared at the Great Ball in disbelief. She then glared up at Dolphin, who was joined by her Vaporeon. "There are two things I want to know," she uttered icily. "Did you come up with those tactics yourself? I refuse to believe that Feraligatr had been defeated so easily."

Dolphin smiled and went through another round of sign language. "What's she saying?" Richie asked Misty quietly.

"Well, if I remember right, she's saying: 'Fish are my friends. If you don't like them, too bad.'"

"Wow. Those sign language lessons must've helped a lot," Richie commented.

"Well, I _did_ have a childhood friend who was deaf, so it helped to know how to talk to her. I just needed to brush up, that's all."

"Oh. Well, that works too."

Domino sniggered quietly. "Fish are your friends? What kind of nonsense is that?"

More gesturing. 'If you don't have anything nice to say, shut up.'

"Fine, but I still want to know how you were able to talk underwater," Domino insisted. "You shouldn't have been able to _breathe_, let alone talk."

Grinning smugly, Dolphin pulled up one of her blouse sleeves and pointed at a discolored mark on her shoulder. "Oookay. That's another impossibility," Domino complained, her eyes halfway closed. "You're not human, are you?"

Dolphin laughed silently. 'How long did it take you to figure that out?'

"Why?" Richie asked. "What do they mean by Dolphin not being human?"

"Well, I didn't say this before," Misty explained, sweatdropping, "but Dolphin actually has gills on her shoulders. She told me what they were shortly after I first met her. A few others have seen them, but they thought they were just birthmarks. That agent's actually the first to recognize them for what they are."

"Figures that your explanation would be something bizarre," Domino said, smirking haughtily. She took out a sharpened tulip... "Figures that one bad freak deserves..." ...and hurled it straight at Dolphin. "..._another!_"

Richie was quick to react. "Sparky, Thunderbolt!"

A precisely-aimed Thunderbolt from Sparky reduced the flower to dust. Snarling, Domino responded with a hailstorm of the things. A blurred figure appeared in front of Dolphin----

_**"Dark Harsh!"**_

--------

Alerted by the cry and the person's sudden appearance, Dolphin quickly distracted herself from the flying flowers to see who it was. What she saw was a young boy---her sibling, she realized---disintegrating the storm of tulips with a black and purple fire beam. _So he hasn't lost his past strength after all...interesting._

When the blast was over, Phibrizzo stumbled a bit but was able to stay on his feet. "You don't insult my family, flower girl!" he snapped. "Leave that sort of thing to me!"

Dolphin sweatdropped a little, then took note of Misty and Richie's expressions. As she guessed, they were shocked at Phibrizzo sudden appearance and attack; but there was also some exasparation at the pseudo-boy's remark.

"I see. So the brat's decided to come out and play as well," Domino said, snide. "The two of us never did get to fight due to that insane gymnast's interference. Since I was traveling to Tokyo and not to a local city, I was unprepared for such an occasion; but this time, I'm ready. Let's see what the rest of my team has to say to your fireworks and elasticity!" She reached behind her back and retrieved a variety of Poké Balls, three held in one hand and two in the other. "You're not human, you can shoot fire, and your limbs are rubber...for all I know, you're older than you look. You're perfect for Team Rocket as far as I'm concerned!" she added.

"What part of 'I don't work with criminals' don't you understand, schmuck?" Phibrizzo snapped. "I have commitments of my own to follow through on! I have friends, as unlikely as that sounds; they're looking forward to seeing me in school again next Monday. I have family members that are expecting me to be home for dinner in half an hour. Do you think I would pass that stuff up just to be used as part of an experiment?"

Dolphin stared at him in wonder. _He's changed...I don't know whether to be pleased or upset. We're mazoku...there's no changing that; normally, I'd be angry for even considering having friends or family to turn to. But there's something about this place that's affecting me, and likely affecting Phibrizzo too. It's as if our goals and ambitions have been pushed aside in favor of something else._ She drew in a breath and stared down at her brother in wonder. _What humans are causing him to act like this?_

Multiple flashes of red light re-directed Dolphin's gaze at Domino. The criminal woman had released five more Pokémon, only one of which she recognized---a Crawdaunt. The second looked like a bat with four wings; the third was a four-armed, muscular brute; the fourth was a large black and gray dog; and the fifth looked like a bizarre, metallic bug. "Looks like we'll have to do this the hard way, then!"

Any tiredness that was present in Phibrizzo disappeared. "Alright, you demented florist. You barged in when I wasn't ready, insulted my sister, and worst of all is that you're trying to recruit me! You want fireworks? I'll give you fireworks! _Flareon, **now!"**_

Dolphin knew a warning when she heard it. Without hesitation, she and Jetsam jumped back into the water...just in time as a blazing flame assaulted Phibrizzo from the sidelines. When the flame stopped, she reemerged to see him standing upright, fully recovered from his earlier attack. _Haven't seen that in a while!_ the mazoku thought to herself, delighted.

The Flareon that had assisted Phibrizzo---the same one that had gotten him riled up earlier---gazed warily at Domino's team. Domino had her attention focused on Phibrizzo, the same wariness present in her. It had all the makings of a classic staredown.

"Sister," Phibrizzo hissed quietly, "you're out of Domino's line of sight at the moment. Signal to Misty and Richie that you need them to send out a Pokémon for each of them. It'll be those two, plus Vaporeon and Flareon against four of Domino's team. I'll take the fifth guy and Domino herself. Go!"

Nodding, Dolphin turned to the others and told them what Phibrizzo wanted. Getting the message, Richie released a small blue bird---whom he introduced as Rose---while Misty called out her Starmie, and the two Pokémon readied themselves for action. Jetsam and Flareon took places on the opposite ends of the pool.

"It's hardly going to be fair, you know," Domino said dryly. "You're still outnumbered."

Phibrizzo just folded his arms. "Try me."

Domino shrugged. "You asked for it. Scizor, use Swords Dance and then go straight into Metal Claw. Target the kid! The rest of you, decide on your targets and go!"

Hovering over the pool, the bug-like Scizor crossed its arms and repeatedly spun in circles. Dolphin wasn't sure what this was supposed to do, but it apparently helped out the Pokémon; it looked a lot more determined to finish the fight quickly. As its claws began to shine brightly, Scizor shot forward at high speed straight towards Phibrizzo; the other Pokémon launched their own attacks at the same time.

Phibrizzo, though, had other plans. Waiting until the bug was a few feet away, he suddenly brought one leg up in a tremendous vertical kick, sending Scizor skyward several meters. Dolphin arched an eyebrow as the leg, which was aligned vertically with Phibrizzo's body, stretched until his shoe touched the ceiling. "Here goes nothing!" he shouted. "_Gum Gum Axe!"_

As the last word left his mouth, Phibrizzo brought his foot down with tremendous force on the Scizor he'd just knocked up. The steel bug went _through_ the platform straight to the depths of the pool; the intensity of the attack split the rest of the platform in half. Phibrizzo's leg snapped back to its proper length, and he watched as the Scizor floated up to the pool's surface, KO'd.

All action in the gym stopped. The humans stared at Phibrizzo, their eyes bulging. Most of the Pokémon turned their heads, wondering what the _crash_ was about and looking nervous when the Scizor resurfaced. Flareon and Jetsam took advantage of this lull by launching sneak attacks against their respective targets, the dog and the bat. Dolphin herself was wondering when her sibling had picked up this ability.

As for Phibrizzo, he winced and stared down at his foot. "Yeah, it worked all right," he murmured as he moved to another piece of the platform. "Curtis, warn me the next time I fight a steel-type." Facing Domino, he began rotating his arm.

Dolphin blinked. _Curtis? What's he talking about there?_ Shaking her head, she viewed the matches that were going on. Richie's bird, Rose, was faring pretty well against the musclebound brute; it was pretty difficult for the thing to aim its attacks at a bird so small and agile, and it was beginning to look frustrated. The gym leader's Starmie was keeping the Crawdaunt busy with repeated Bubblebeam bursts, although it occasionally had to dodge a Crabhammer or two. Both Flareon and Jetsam were pretty close to winning their own fights, so she focused almost exclusively on the fight that was to follow.

She was about to be sorely disappointed.

----------

"I have rubber-like limbs, I can shoot fire, and can do various other things," Phibrizzo said, smiling as he prepared himself. "You have what, a flower?"

Domino didn't say anything, instead frowning as she prepared herself for what would likely be a one-sided match.

"Doesn't look too happy to be here," Inuyasha observed. "Of course, I'd be unhappy too if I was in this situation."

"Let's make this fast," Curtis reminded them. "We only have about twenty-five minutes to get back to Beika."

Something flickered in Domino's eyes; Phibrizzo couldn't tell if it was nervousness or indecision. Finally, just as he was about to grab one of the other platforms and launch himself forward, Domino held up two of the Poké Balls and activated them. "Return," she called out, bringing back the Machamp and the defeated Scizor. This move came just in time, as Richie's Taillow was coming in to finish off its opponent.

The action threw Phibrizzo's aim off by several meters, causing him to miss the platform entirely. "What's she doing?" he asked himself as his arm returned to its original length.

Domino repeated her action with the Mightyena, the Crobat---which Dolphin's Vaporeon had already defeated---and the Crawdaunt. Putting the Poké Balls away, she folded her arms and let her gaze wander the gym. "I appreciate the chance to battle you, kid---as much as I'd wanted to---but I still have something I need to do here," she said, more than a tinge regretfully.

"What are you talking about, miss?" Phibrizzo asked suspiciously. "I thought you came here to take the gym's Pokémon away."

"Why would I? I could've easily had a group of the lower T.R. agents take care of a job like that," Domino scoffed. "Besides, I'm on vacation."

"_Vacation?"_ everyone, including Inuyasha and Curtis, chorused.

"I actually have _you_ to thank for that," Domino said sardonically. "That disasterous showdown in Nerima left me in bad condition, and that led the boss to give me a week's vacation to sort things out. I'd thought to get another Water Show ticket, seeing how you ruined mine...and probably used it anyway---" Phibrizzo smiled mirthfully as she said this. "---and see the show, but it was sold out by the time it officially started."

"Well, then what did you really come here to do?" Misty inquired.

Domino glanced briefly at one of the doors. "I'll just say the same thing to you that I said when I first came in. I don't mean to be a bother, but can I use your restroom?"

Phibrizzo, Richie, and Misty all stumbled upon hearing this. The remaining Pokémon in the room, except for Togepi, sweatdropped. Dolphin glared alternately at Domino and Phibrizzo, not sure who to be annoyed with.

---------

_Well, **this** is just great!_ Phibrizzo hissed. For some reason that no one could figure out, the chamber walls were glowing a mixture of red and pink.

"See?" Curtis said, smiling helplessly. "She just proved my point!"

"Yeah," Inuyasha added, his reluctance evident. "I guess we only have ourselves to blame this time around for jumping to conclusions."

"You know," Curtis told him wonderingly, "you're the last person I would've thought to say that."

"You don't need to get on my case about it," Inuyasha growled as the chambers lost the red coloring. "I was just stating a fact."

_Guys, be quiet._

--------

"Well?" Domino asked impatiently, bringing them back to their senses.

"Go on ahead," Phibrizzo groaned, turning his back to her. "If it's alright with the gym leader, it's okay with me. Can't believe I overreacted for nothing..."

Dolphin went through one of her signed statements, and Misty translated for everyone else. "She said, 'That's okay, brother. I imagine anyone else could've made such a stupid mistake.'"

The half-mazoku sweatdropped. "Sister, you're not helping!" he whined. "My stuff was drying in the bathroom at the time, no thanks to that little sojourn you sent me on! Instead of doing that when I got your attention, you could've just glared at me or something..." He looked over his shoulder at Domino, swallowing nervously. "Like I said, I overreacted, and I'm sorry. One thing gets me, though; I told you before that I wasn't interested in joining Team Rocket. Why'd you repeat the offer earlier?"

Domino shrugged. "No reason, really. Being perfect for Team Rocket doesn't neccessarily mean you had to accept the offer, anyway. Just a personal opinion." She retreated onto the tiled floor. "Since you apologized to me, I'll let you off the hook. Something I'm going to have to warn you about, though."

Phibrizzo turned around. "What's that?"

"Once my vacation ends in a few days, I'll have to turn in a detailed report regarding the incident in Nerima. That report's going to include the tactics you used against that Arcanine. The next time you set foot in Kanto or Johto, our agents are going to be after you. It won't be on my recommendation, but my boss's. If he deems it, everyone in the organization is going to keep an eye out for a person matching your description. No holds barred."

"Me against a criminal organization...fun," Phibrizzo growled. "Why are you clueing me in on this? It's not like I was respectable to you or anything."

"Simple," Domino explained. "I'm motivating you. I'm not known for my sweet disposition, but I _do_ enjoy an occasional challenge; Nerima was my first failure since I joined Team Rocket. I'm going to absolve that, preferably through a Pokémon battle since your talent for being unfair matches mine. I suggest you prepare yourself."

"Problem," Phibrizzo told her. "I live somewhere in Tokyo, and I only came down here for the Water Show...speaking of which, I'll have to fly soon if I want to get home in time. Any ideas, Miss Domino?"

Domino sighed, annoyed. She waved him off, heading for the door. "I don't know. _You_ think of something. Now, if you'll excuse me..."

----------

Misty stared at the door as Domino left the main part of the gym. "For someone who lives so far out, it'll be a hassle just to get any training in," she said to herself.

"Hey, wait a second!" Richie blurted at Phibrizzo, getting everyone's attention. "It's about a quarter to six right now, and you said you lived in Tokyo! How are you possibly going to get back before curfew?"

Phibrizzo slowly turned his head. It was amazing how quickly this kid changed attitudes; one minute he was deliberately disrespectful, next he was shy, and now his face shined with innocence and cuteness. He raised a finger and waggled it to drive home his sentence. "Now, that...is a secret!"

Richie shook his head. "He's at it again," he muttered.

Sparky did the same. "_Pi-ka, pika-chu,_" he said. This was unknown to everyone, but he was saying: "He's just hopeless."

Misty just frowned, annoyed with Phibrizzo's attitude. Togepi chirped, content.

Dolphin climbed onto the broken platform and knelt so that her eyes were level with Phibrizzo's, saying something inaudible. Misty didn't think she'd ever seen her so angry; her face was contorted in a silent rage, and her shoulders were shaking. What had her brother's statement reminded her of?

For his part, Phibrizzo looked as confused as was possible for him. "Yeah, he still does that, but I don't know why you're so mad," he said to Dolphin. "...Wait. You're not over what they did to your mind, still?...Fine. Sorry. I didn't know."

Dolphin lost her anger almost right away. Exhaling, she began saying something else that she couldn't hear. Phibrizzo took a few seconds to puzzle over what she might have said, then nodded and turned to Misty. "Excuse me? I haven't discussed it with him yet," he said, jerking his thumb at the passive Pokémon, "but there's a pretty good chance he'll be my starter. Problem is, I haven't registered yet, and I still need to get home. Any chance you could take him to that Pokémon Center, or whatever it is, and have someone look after him until I come back? It may be a few days, but I'll still try to stop by."

Misty and Richie stared at each other questioningly before turning to the Flareon. The Pokémon whined worriedly, then circled around the pool until it was able to make a running leap to the broken platform. With that done, it circled around Phibrizzo's feet and cried something at the gym leader.

Phibrizzo smiled, an honest and happy smile that no one in the room had yet seen on him. "Well," he said, "I guess he agrees with me. Could you do for that us, please?"

With an expression such as that, there wasn't anything everyone could do except agree. The smiles that had been absent from everyone's faces returned as Flareon stared at its new part-time trainer happily.

-----------

Said trainer was focused on his sister, though. "You can come by...let's see...next Friday. Aunt Eva's going to be coming by for dinner, so this'll be a good chance for you to meet her. I'll have to ask my foster mom if she'd be willing to make a little extra. You have my address and everything, so I guess I'll see you then."

Dolphin nodded slowly before locking eyes with her sibling. Was it just him, or were her eyes shimmering? "You okay, Dolphin?" he asked nervously. "It's not like you to get emotional about stuff."

The water-minded woman didn't answer, instead drawing Phibrizzo into a hug. A bit surprised at first, he finally relaxed. "Fine. You win," he groaned. "Just don't throw me again." _That woman always did puzzle me. Why's she doing that?_

"Family members are supposed to care for each other," Curtis said, pausing to cough several times. "It's only natural. You're not on your own world anymore, keep in mind. Tell me: do you feel even the slightest negative difference in your health?"

As much as Phibrizzo tried to find any proof that positive emotions were detrimental to his very being, he couldn't. In fact the more he tried, the more he kept coming to the same conclusion: he was beginning to develop emotional attachments to the people in his life. It would've been virtually impossible to do this before; even if he wanted to and tried, no one else would let him live it down (Xellos and Zelas in particular).

But as Curtis said, he was no longer on his own world. Perhaps being partially human had benefits, after all.

Only one way to find out if it was true: keep on going.

Hesitating for a second, Phibrizzo slipped free from Dolphin's hug. "I'm going to have to go now," he said to her before turning to Misty and Richie. "Thanks for doing this for me. Really appreciate it."

"No problem. Glad to help," Richie told him, waving his hand a little.

Misty waved as well, smiling good-naturedly. "Take care, okay?"

"Yeah. Sure. Bye-bye," the half-mazoku responded half-heartedly.

As Richie turned to the gym leader and began discussing something with her, Phibrizzo stepped off to his sister's right side, balancing himself on part of the broken platform. When Dolphin turned, her form blocked the half-mazoku from the others' view. "See you around, sis," he muttered quietly, keeping his head lowered so that she wouldn't see the moisture that had started to gather in his eyes.

Getting a mental image of his home's backyard, he focused and disappeared.

---------------

Location: Kaden residence

Time: Five minutes to six

"Hey, mom! I'm home!"

Sylvia got up from where she was watching the news and entered the kitchen. Sure enough, Phibrizzo had just entered through the back door. "Hi, honey," she greeted him. "Marcus will be getting take-out on his way back, so I'm just resting for now. How was your day?"

"It was pretty good, I suppose," Phibrizzo said reluctantly. "I was wondering: do you mind if we have additional company when Aunt Eva comes by next week?"

"Well, I guess so," Sylvia replied, unsure. "Who is---Phibrizzo," she said, cutting herself off, "just what is that drawing on your hand?"

"Funny you should mention that..." Phibrizzo began, rolling his eyes.

--------

Location: Cerulean Gym

Time: Half an hour later

It had been an eventful day, all things considered. Preparing for the Water Show, actually performing in it, having a surprising encounter with a sibling that she thought she'd left behind, and battling a criminal who hadn't had bad intentions after all. In a few weeks, another show would be performed, and she still had to plan for that; most of the funds that were earned through these shows financed the gym and contributed toward her and the gym leader's everyday lives. She didn't mind, though; unlike her sibling, she loved the water.

Dolphin remembered what Misty and Richie's faces looked like when she told them that Phibrizzo had actually teleported out of the building. She'd wished then that she had one of those camera things that was advertised in a local magazine. Absolutely priceless!

Richie had since left the gym, en route for Pallet Town where he was to meet up with a well-known Pokémon professor. Misty had placed a call with someone to replace the platform that Phibrizzo's attack had destroyed (Dolphin was still amazed at the fact that the telephones actually worked); she then left to drop the Flareon at the Pokémon Center and buy some dinner for the both of them. In the meantime, Dolphin was resting in her favorite spot: the middle of the pool, with no light except for what was coming through the windows.

After a few minutes, she decided that something to drink was in order. Opening her eyes, she propelled herself out of the pool, dried off her arms (the rest of her form, her performance outfit included, repelled water), and made her way to the kitchen.

_Something's out of place here,_ she thought as she checked the kitchen for something to drink. _Let's see...soda's here, but I don't want any of that...tastes nasty, anyway. Orange juice tastes okay, but that's not what I'm looking for...hold on!_

Dolphin spotted something that was sitting in the sink: an empty coffee pot and a matching coffee cup. Not liking what she saw, she checked a cupboard for her supply of coffee packets. No sign of them. _I know I had at least one packet left. Someone must've taken it!_

Frowning, Dolphin scoured the cupboards. No sign of the coffee packets. _I thought so; someone must've taken my coffee! It couldn't have been Misty; she doesn't drink that stuff. If she didn't touch it, then who---_ Her mind took a running leap to an obvious conclusion. _Phibrizzo! Why, that little rogue...he drank my coffee!_

Racing to her quarters, she grabbed her purse and made sure it had everything in it. She then left a note for Misty saying that she ran to the store to get something, then locked the gym doors and bolted for the nearest grocery store. _That little squirt...I can't believe he took my coffee! He is **so** going to get it!_

There was something that Dolphin neglected to think of, however. Even though Phibrizzo had indeed gulped down a cup of coffee, he by no means finished the entire pot. And when she saw the empty pot, she missed the tall-tale traces of red and white fur that clung to one side of it...

-------------

_Chapter Nine concluded. Chapter Ten soon to commence_

Author's Notes

"Red herring" is a term I learned in school recently. In a nutshell, it means that one person keeps trying to take a conversation off course.

I remembered seeing several old comic strips that depicted lawyers as sharks. The comparison isn't really fair, I suppose, but it does make for some amusing mental imagery. It probably explains why Dolphin seems so taken with them. Heh, heh.

The 'If you don't have anything nice to say' and 'I imagine anyone else could've made such a stupid mistake' were quoted (directly and indirectly, respectively) from "Samurai Pizza Cats" episodes. Just thought I'd let you know that I didn't make those up.

Like I said before, Phibrizzo's not going on any journeys in Kanto. He will eventually, however, start training Flareon for an eventual rematch with Domino.

Where do the timelines for _Pokémon_ and _What Insertion?_ coincide? Ash Ketchum left for the Hoenn region around the same time that Phibrizzo first appeared in Tokyo. Simple as that.

I haven't really divided the story into any arcs, or anything like that. I'm just winging it as I go along; sticking to an outline limited what I could do with my other stories. This story has long since surpassed my other fanfics in both content and size, so I'm sticking with my present plan of action.

That's that. Let's move on.


	17. Chapter Ten, Part A

WHAT INSERTION?

by Curtis Wildcat

_Chapter Ten, Part A _--- Blackout

--------

**(Cue theme)**

--------

Time: 7:15pm, the Wednesday following Chapter Nine

Location: Moore Detective Agency

Knock, knock.

Rachel looked up from the magazine she was reading. "Conan, could you get the door, please? It's probably Phibrizzo."

"Sure!" Conan said, jumping off the couch and walking towards the door.

The previous Saturday, Conan had been unable to have Phibrizzo over to the agency; a case had come up in the morning, keeping he, Richard, and Rachel unavailable until mid-afternoon. By that time, the unusual kid had split for destinations unknown.

When they met again at school on Monday, the two of them agreed to meet tonight to finish off homework and find ways to keep entertained. Conan had hoped that nothing else would come up, but Richard had to head down to the police station after dinner and discuss something with Inspector Maguire. Basically, they were on their own until he returned.

Conan opened the door to see that Phibrizzo was indeed standing there, a full schoolbag on his back, carrying a closed umbrella and wearing his fireball T-shirt. There was someone else standing behind him, though... "Um...hello! Are you here to see Detective Moore?" he asked nervously, wondering who this blue-haired woman was. Further back in the living room, Rachel laid the magazine down and got up to see who had arrived.

The woman just shook her head, eyeing her surroundings carefully. Phibrizzo smirked knowingly. "She isn't a client, Edogawa. She came to my house earlier for dinner, then insisted on coming with me when I told her I had to leave."

"Hello, Phibrizzo," Rachel greeted him before turning to the taller woman. "Nice to meet you. Are you a friend of his?"

The woman smiled nervously; seeing this, Phibrizzo spoke for her. "Cousin Rachel, Conan Edogawa...I'd like you to meet Deep Sea Dolphin, alias Lauren Aqua...and my sister, I might add."

"Oh...that's a pleasant surprise!" Rachel remarked, smiling politely. "Come on in!"

The two of them made way for Phibrizzo and 'Deep Sea Dolphin'. _If that's her real name---which isn't too unusual, compared to a name like 'Phibrizzo'---then it sure applies to her,_ Conan thought with mild amusement. Turquoise earrings, dark blue blouse and pants, sharp sea-blue eyes...even her absurdly-long hair was a light blue.

"Excuse me, you two," Phibrizzo said, interrupting his thoughts as he closed the door behind him. "Just thought I'd say real quick that my sister's mute..." He paused as 'Dolphin' took out a notepad and pen. "...so be prepared to receive a lot of written messages throughout the evening."

Conan and Rachel nodded, showing that they understood. "Okay," the latter said as everyone went to sit down. "So, is 'Deep Sea Dolphin' your real name?"

The woman nodded, jotting something down and showing it to them. 'As unusual as it sounds, yes. At performances, I use the name 'Lauren Aqua' to keep the general public from finding out.'

"Performances?" Conan asked.

Dolphin wrote something else. 'I can combine swimming and dancing into a single movement. Maritime grace at its finest, and so forth.'

Rachel laughed. "And ever so modest, too."

"Actually, she's not exaggerating," Phibrizzo told her as he got out one of his schoolbooks. "That woman takes her work seriously. Her sense of humor is rather peculiar, though. Her performance last Friday was the first I'd seen her in who knows how long, and one of the first things she did was fling me into the facility's swimming pool."

Dolphin angrily jotted down another message. 'And don't think I haven't forgotten about my coffee!'

"For the last time, shark breath, I didn't drink all your coffee!" Phibrizzo protested. "I took one cup---_one_ cup---and that was it! I sure didn't throw the rest of it out, either!"

His sister turned to another page and wrote another message. 'Don't lie to me, firebrat! You did _something_ to it!'

"Shark breath? Firebrat?" Conan heard Rachel say to herself before she began chuckling aloud.

The two siblings turned to her. "What's so funny?" the more audible one requested.

Conan began laughing a bit, too. "You two really _are_ related," he got out. "Who else would talk to each other like that?"

The two of them stared first at Conan and Rachel, and then at each other. Finally, Dolphin's shoulders began shaking in silent laughter at some unknown joke. Not sure what she was laughing at, Phibrizzo sighed and threw his hands up, exasparated. "Fine. Laugh it up. See if I care," he fumed before settling down.

As Phibrizzo followed Conan to the couch and started to get out his books, the mini-sleuth caught an interesting detail. _I only saw one umbrella with them, and it wasn't very big...only wide enough for one person; but Dolphin didn't look the slightest bit wet._ A sweatdrop formed and rolled down the back of his head. _If she's his sister, I can only imagine what the rest of his family must be like._

---------

Time: Ten minutes later

Conan took another look at Phibrizzo's handwriting before shaking his head. "Your English is pretty good, but your Japanese is _terrible_," he criticized. "Did you take a crash course before coming to Tokyo?"

"I only knew how to speak it, not to write it," Phibrizzo reminded him, looking disconcerted. "Besides, I never really needed to use it before; English is my main language. Hey, where'd Dolphin and cousin Rachel go?"

"You mean you didn't hear them going into the kitchen?" Conan asked disbelievingly.

Phibrizzo shrugged. "I was too busy trying to write this stuff down. I just hope Dolphin doesn't destroy anything in there."

"'Destroy'?" Conan shuddered a little. "Is she a bad cook or something?"

"Not just that. Where Dolphin lived before, she never really became acquainted with machinery. To quote one of my associates, she's not very 'technology-savvy'...I think that's the term for it. She'd probably destroy a telephone just by trying to dial a number. That's how bad she is."

Conan sweatdropped. "I don't mean any offense, but is your whole family dysfunctional?"

Phibrizzo blinked. "Dysfunctional? Maybe. It would explain some of my family's habits, that's for sure." He lowered his voice a tad. "Hey, have you seen the news recently? I haven't been able to watch it the last few days."

"Not too many news items," Conan said at the same volume, shaking his head, "and nothing to do with those guys in black. There's a team at the local police department that work to keep track of that Inuyasha person's actions. So far, the news hasn't had anything bad to say about him; he appears somewhere, captures a criminal or would-be criminal, then goes away. The department's paranoid about him possibly going overboard with this."

"I'd like to think that he knows what he's doing," Phibrizzo replied. "If he finds who those guys are before we do, Edogawa, then so much the better. I go around Tokyo a lot, but I'm only one person."

"One _inhuman_ person, you mean," Conan told him, annoyed. "With that teleport thing and your attitude, you do pretty well for only being 'one person'. So, have you completed your little 'tour of Tokyo' yet?"

"Except for Ueno, yes." Phibrizzo frowned as he said this. "I've _got_ to get over there one of these days---"

The rest of Phibrizzo's complaint would remain unheard. The lights flickered, dimmed, then extinguished themselves. The sudden outage was accompanied by a lively succession of crashes from the kitchen, startling both of the lobby's occupants.

"Okay, so the lights are out," Phibrizzo said wryly, surprisingly calm. "Now, could you tell me what's the big idea behind all this?"

Before Conan could tell him anything, the door that led upstairs opened. Rachel was standing there, a lit flashlight in her hand. "Is everyone okay?"

"Just swell," Phibrizzo growled. "What were those crashes a second ago?"

"The power going out startled your sister," Rachel said concernedly. "She dropped the pot she was holding on her foot and kicked it out of reflex. I didn't know she was that strong; the pot bounced around the kitchen a few times." She sighed. "Guess I'll have to get it fixed; it has a massive dent in it."

_Yikes!_ "Rachel, that's nice and all, but why'd the power go out?"

"Maybe the weather outside was a bit much for one of the power lines," Rachel suggested. "The weather called for wind and rain for most of the evening, you know."

No one responded to this as Dolphin joined Rachel at the door, her arms folded. With the power out and the only available illumination coming from the flashlight, it would be difficult to tell what the woman would try to say.

As Phibrizzo dug into his pockets and pulled out a pair of glasses, there was a knock at the main door. Still holding the flashlight, Rachel arrived at the door first and opened it. Conan didn't recognize the person at first, but then it clicked in his mind regarding who the hairstyle and black coat belonged to. He'd solved the riddle that Phibrizzo had given him, and now he had a name---a codename, anyway---to identify the face.

_Sherry!_ Conan immediately tensed himself, while Phibrizzo just fiddled with the glasses and set them on his face. _What's she doing here?_

"Hello," Rachel greeted her. "You here to see Detective Moore about something?"

"Yes, I am," the woman said quietly. "Is he here?"

Rachel shook her head, not paying attention as Dolphin sat down behind her father's desk. "Sorry, but my dad's away at the police station at the moment. You're welcome to wait here for him to come back, if you want..."

Sherry shrugged. "Sure. Whatever." She looked past Rachel, spotting Conan and Phibrizzo. "Well, so _you_ two are here. Small world, huh?"

"You know them?" Rachel asked, sounding both surprised and interested as she let her in and shut the door.

"I've...run into Phibrizzo numerous times," Sherry said dryly, walking in and finding an open seat. "The other kid, too. That's not important, though. This morning before I left for work, I was informed that one of my family members here in Japan was kidnapped and being held for ransom."

"_Kidnapped?_" everyone except Dolphin shouted, alarmed.

Sherry didn't seem to mind. "Yes. My sister was busy, and the others weren't returning my calls. I wasn't sure what to do. Then on my way home I remembered that Richard Moore was starting to get a reputation for himself, so I decided to see if he could help me."

"Out of curiosity, who was it that was kidnapped?" Conan asked a trifle suspiciously.

"Do you even need to ask?" Sherry told him without batting an eyelid. "I do believe your friend knows her well. It was my cousin, the female half of the Golden Pair: Azusa Shiratori."

Conan's eyes widened. Rachel gasped, and Phibrizzo's face turned white. "I'd say 'please tell me you're joking' at this point, but saying that would be rather useless!" the latter spat.

Rachel turned to him. "Phibrizzo? Are you okay?"

"Remember the words 'that psycho klepto kissed me', cousin Rachel?" Phibrizzo growled. "No, I'm _not_ okay! It's just as well that Richard Moore's the one handling this, because I don't want anything to do with that crazy girl!"

"Good," Sherry said, probably remembering her last encounter with him. "I wasn't asking you anyway, and---" Cutting herself off without warning, she turned and stared at something past Conan's line of sight.

As one, Rachel, Conan, and Phibrizzo turned to see what Sherry was looking at. What they saw---and what the scientist likely saw as well---was Dolphin's long-haired form. Phibrizzo's sister had her arms folded, and she appeared for all the world like an angry hawk...or a shark. She didn't look anything at all like the nervous woman that had dropped in almost fifteen minutes earlier.

Phibrizzo fidgeted nervously. "Uh...Dolphin? Sister? What's with that look? I know she's an ice cube, but---"

Dolphin's left hand shot to the side, cutting him off. Her message was clear: _Stay out of this._

Conan sat down again, thinking to himself. _She must suspect something about her. It could be any number of things, not just Sherry's criminal status...unless Phibrizzo hasn't mentioned that to her. In that case, what would it be?_

---------

_I don't understand. Why's that woman staring at me?_ Sherry thought apprehensively, standing and locking eyes with the person that Phibrizzo called his sister, 'Dolphin'. _Does she suspect something about me? I don't know what it is that has her so upset._

---------

"Is this one of those 'classic staredowns' you mentioned?" Inuyasha asked, leaning on Curtis's chair as he looked on.

"Mm-hm," Curtis grunted. "The gloomy chemist meets the cold fish. Let's see who wins."

Neither of them heard Phibrizzo's silent chuckling. '_Let's see who wins' is right._

---------

_Wilt, lady,_ Dolphin thought, glaring at the opposing woman by the light of Rachel's electric torch...flashlight rather. _Wilt. Those who are cold have something to hide. I'm going to find out what that something is...and have a little bit of fun at your expense._

_And on the off-chance that you **don't** have anything to hide...well, there isn't a human alive that can outstare a monster. Especially one that can't blink._

--------

A staring contest was the last thing on Sherry's mind, though; this was evident as time went on. _What's with her? I don't understand! Why is she so mad?_ "Why are you looking at me like that?"

The woman didn't respond, instead narrowing her eyes. Sherry took a step back, starting to feel nervous. The teenage girl opened her mouth as if to say something, but was nudged into silence by Phibrizzo as beads of sweat formed on the scientist's forehead.

--------

Conan wasn't sure what to think when Sherry's visage lost some of its chill. _Phibrizzo's sister knows what she's doing, apparently. That doesn't answer the question of why she's doing this, though. What's running through Dolphin's mind right now?_

--------

Phibrizzo's sister was a master of the poker face, even though she didn't like playing cards herself. She could be thinking something else while she antagonized the other person, and she enjoyed this very much.

Therefore, while her face was scowling, Dolphin's mind was singing something that she'd heard on that 'radio' device recently. _Girls just want to have fun..._

-------

Rachel looked on, worried. _She's trying to scare a client? Either she's impolite, or her sense of humor is as strange as Phibrizzo says it is!_

She glanced over at her little cousin. Phibrizzo was trying his hardest to keep his grin restrained, and failing miserably; he must be enjoying this to the hilt. _Adoption or not, I'd like to know how I wound up with clowns for cousins!_

-------

Munch, munch. "Say, this popcorn stuff's pretty tasty," Inuyasha said around a mouthful of the stuff.

Curtis smiled as he continued watching the staredown. "Glad you think so, Inuyasha. What do you think of this, Phibrizzo?"

_Remind me to save up for one of those video cameras!_ The humor in his tone was as plain as day; Curtis wondered how much he was trying not to explode laughing. Probably wouldn't do too much for his dignity, he guessed.

--------

It was unnoticeable even to her, but Sherry had begun trembling ever so slightly. "This is ridiculous," she stated. "Why are you so upset at me? What did I ever do to you?"

Dolphin didn't say anything; this inaction heightened Sherry's uneasiness even more. _I don't get it! I just don't get it! Why's she deliberately doing this? _"Just quit it! What do you want with me?"

Still nothing.

-------

_This is really starting to creep me out,_ Conan thought as Dolphin continued tormenting the criminal scientist. _I really should put a stop to this...but if I do, either Phibrizzo or his sister'll try to keep me quiet._

_One thing's for sure: this won't score any points with Rachel's father when he finds out._

-------

Dolphin didn't let it show, but she was becoming delighted. _She's almost at the breaking point; I can tell. I'll turn it up a little,_ she thought as she sneered and tapped her foot against the floor.

Sure enough, the other lady started appearing frightened...not much, but it was enough. "This is getting both of us nowhere!" she exclaimed. "Just tell me what you want!"

Since Dolphin couldn't give an audible response, she formed the most sinister smile she was capable of. _I'll just let that do my talking for me._

-------

_Why? **Why?** She's just standing there, grinning like she's evil incarnate! I can't take this anymore!_ "Alright, _fine!_ What is this about---revenge? Do you have something against me? Whatever it was, I didn't mean to hurt you! Just tell me what you want, _please!_ Just...just stop it already!"

Dolphin finally reacted to Sherry's desperate statements, walking forward until she was about a meter away. Her angry face softened a little as she clapped one hand on her shoulder and raised the other near her head, causing her to flinch and close her eyes. _What's she doing? What did I do to her?_

Sherry had been expecting a slap; she didn't know if she deserved it, but the other woman probably thought she would. Instead, she felt something else: it felt like the tip of a pen, tracing patterns on her face. "What on earth are you---"

The next reactions startled everyone, and this time it wasn't Dolphin's. There was a muffled snort, and then Phibrizzo burst into laughter as if he'd just heard something funny; the second reaction was Conan's facefault. _Okay...I think I've been had._ "Excuse me...but what are you doing?"

Nonplussed, the teenage girl looked down at Phibrizzo, who gripped the back of the couch to keep from falling over. "I was going to tell you this earlier...Dolphin can't talk. She's mute."

Sherry's mouth fell open in disbelief as Dolphin stopped writing. "You mean that the whole time I asked her what she had against me..."

Conan nodded, recovering from his facefault. "Yeah. You wouldn't have gotten a response no matter how much you yelled. What she wrote on your face added insult to injury."

"Why? What did she write?"

The teenager focused the flashlight's glow...and nearly fell over herself. "'Got any fours? Go fish!'"

As the girl switched off the flashlight (which had been on for several minutes by now), Sherry remained where she was, unsure of how to react. "Oh, for crying out loud," she managed to groan. "Is _everyone_ here a comedian?"

Although Sherry couldn't see it very well, Dolphin smiled triumphantly.

"It sure seems that way, doesn't it?" Phibrizzo asked, trying to hold down his laughter. "Priceless. Utterly priceless!"

Sherry shook her head, then wiped her forehead with a coat sleeve. "Does she do that sort of thing with everyone, or did she just single me out?"

"She could've been testing you for all I know," Phibrizzo admitted, finally calming down. "She does like to play mind games with people, regardless. Now, would you mind telling us what happened with Shiratori?"

"I'll state this as bluntly as I can," Sherry told him firmly. "I'm looking to hire Detective Moore, not you."

"So what? You want to rescue your cousin from a kidnapper, right?"

"Yes..."

"And something like that is better off done as soon as possible, right?"

"You're trying to tell me something, aren't you?"

Phibrizzo continued speaking, sounding remarkably knowledgeable despite his youth. "Neither the kidnapper nor your cousin are going to wait, Miss. Shiratori wants to be freed, and the kidnapper wants...whatever it is he or she wants. The sooner we get to the bottom of this, the better. There are four people here besides you, and we're all talented in our own ways. Even with the power outage and the bad weather, there isn't any better time to get to work. I don't really want to do this, but if I don't I'm never going to be able to get a moment's rest again."

_He sure is persistent...wish I knew why he's doing this for me._ "Very well, then. Let's go. I'll tell you what I know on the way."

-------------

A minute after Rachel left a note for her father, they were ready to go. The five of them piled inside Sherry's car with Conan, Rachel, and Phibrizzo in the back seat. It made everyone a little nervous when Phibrizzo insisted on scouring the interior for any listening aids, but Conan concluded that his friend had every right to be nervous. She _was_ an associate of Gin and Vodka, after all.

As an intimidated Dolphin warily climbed into the other front seat and sat there until Rachel showed her how to buckle up (and close the door while she was at it), Conan took note of that in his head. _She really isn't any good with technology, huh? She must've really been isolated from the outside world if she didn't even know what a car was._ Resolving to ask Phibrizzo about it, he waited for Sherry to begin her explanation once the car was moving.

"It started before I left for work this morning. I received a phone call from an anonymous person; the caller had to have been distorting his or her voice somehow. Since I was in a hurry, I just let the answering machine record the call. Strangely enough, I only heard one sentence: 'Half of the Golden Pair is missing.' It was disquieting at the time, but after I arrived at work I got another call. This time, I heard: 'Perfect ten. One million is the goal. Find her.' I'd heard enough to determine that Azusa had been kidnapped.

"There were several problems, though. The relatives I have here in Japan aren't on speaking terms with me, outside of my sister. My co-workers aren't too fond of my cousin. They insisted that I not do anything about it."

"Understandable," Phibrizzo muttered. "If I was being chased around by a compulsive thief who decorated stuff in pink, called them French names, and bashed obstacles with a mallet, I'd be scared too."

"Either that or highly disturbed," Conan added.

"Close enough," Sherry admitted. "Anyhow, I wasn't about to take that from them. The third call I received before I left work at 7:00p.m. warned me: 'Bright chances are slowly waning. Come quickly.' I decided that the kidnapper wanted a million yen, so I packed up what I had and stuck it in the car's trunk. Problem was, I'm having difficulty finding out where the kidnapper is holed up."

"Wasn't even aware that you had that much money to begin with," Phibrizzo said. "You don't seem like the type to have made a fortune."

"Let's not discuss that. This is my cousin I'm talking about."

"Anything about the phone calls themselves that you found unusual?" Conan asked, leaning forward a little.

Sherry nodded a fraction. "When I listened to the original call, I heard another voice talking in the background. I played back the message a few times, and heard a fraction of another sentence: '---key arena, calling to---'...and that was it. I didn't hear anything during the second call, but during the third call I was pretty sure I heard a thud, followed by: 'I don't like secur---'. Again, that was it."

There were a few moments of silence as everyone thought it over. "Any ideas, people?" Sherry prodded.

As Sherry stopped at a red light, Dolphin---who still seemed nervous about the car---reached into a pocket and pulled out her notepad and pen. Pondering for a second, she scrawled a message and showed it to Sherry, who just shrugged. "Sports arena of some kind? Perhaps, but there's no shortage of them throughout this part of Japan. How would we know where to look?"

Another message; Sherry got a good enough look at it before the street light turned green. "A _hockey_ arena? Thanks, but which one?"

"We could check and see if any of the arenas had a cancellation in their schedule today," Rachel suggested. "I don't know what Azusa's practice schedule is, but it's still a possibility. If we find out where, maybe we can start there."

"There may not be much time," Sherry pointed out. "We don't even know if we _can_ use our cell phones. For that matter, I don't even know what their numbers are, or where the sports facilities are located."

"Keep going another five blocks, then turn left," Phibrizzo instructed. "You should reach a recreation center after a kilometer or so."

All eyes except Sherry's turned to him. "You know where the places are? That's pretty neat," Rachel commented.

"Actually I just know where that recreation center is," her cousin told her. "I go there for tennis practice once or twice a week. There should still be someone there, even with the loss of power; the place doesn't close until nine on Wednesdays. We can make some phone calls there. Failing that, we can at least get the addresses we need."

-------------

As everyone made various noises of agreement (except Dolphin), Curtis kept a close eye on the various monitors in his chamber. Within the last four hours following his latest disappearance, two hidden panels near the entertainment center had opened. One had been hiding a monitor and three large dials, labeled "Frequency", "Pitch", and "Volume", plus a button that read "Normal". The other had deposited a microphone, connected to the wall via an extension cord.

Interestingly enough, the new monitor had the word "Normal" in block letters at the top, plus numbers that stood for the three large dials and a little green square in one corner. While the trio were out and about before dinner, Curtis had fiddled with the dials. After turning them at random, he was greeted with the word "Girl" on the screen instead, plus the numbers that corresponded to the dials.

Not knowing what to do at the time, Curtis just pressed the "Normal" button to bring the original settings back. This was followed by a menu asking if he wanted to save that voice to memory; shrugging, he just pressed the "Yes" button on the touch-screen.

He was tempted to tell Phibrizzo about his discovery at the time, but remained silent. His line of thinking had been: _He probably knows about it anyway; it's likely another one of those abilities he hadn't used in a while. It'll come in handy, that's for sure._

Before Curtis turned to watch the viewport, he looked back and recalled how Conan's bow tie was supposed to work. He had a pretty good idea what the purpose of the new monitor was. _And if we don't find out tonight, color me surprised._ _I am **so** going to enjoy this._

-----------

_To be continued_


	18. Chapter Ten, Part B

WHAT INSERTION?

by Curtis Wildcat

_Chapter Ten, Part B _--- Voice of Preference

--------

**(Cue theme)**

--------

Time: 8:00pm

Location: Inside recreation center

After arriving at the recreation center (which had power generators up and running) the group was able to enter, thankfully. The winds and rain, which had subsided a little, hadn't taken out the phone lines along with the electricity. Being the one with the most at stake, Sherry was chosen to make the needed calls.

It took a little bit of time to contact the various facilities to see what cancellations they had, if any. One arena had a cancellation, but not for a person matching Azusa's description. Two others didn't have any cancellations at all; everyone was starting to get a little nervous by now. Finally, they were able to find the ice rink where Azusa was supposed to practice today; she had been scheduled to practice at 8:00a.m., but her partner had called to cancel about ten minutes prior.

There was one slight problem with starting the search there, though: a hockey team was on the ice, and they were going to be practicing until around 8:30. The individual on the other end of the conversation seemed pretty adamant against anyone going there.

"Look," Sherry was saying to the other person, "I realize that the practices are off-limits to the public, but...Sir, this is important...No, I never said I wanted to see the practices...A season pass to the team's games? That's exaggerating things! I don't even _watch_ hockey!"

A motion from the corner of her eye got her attention. "Excuse me a second, sir. I'll be right with you," Sherry muttered, disgusted. She placed a hand over the receiver and turned to Phibrizzo, who was waving one hand in a 'get over here quick' motion. "What do you want, Phibrizzo?"

The strange kid pointed first at the telephone, then at himself. "Let me talk to him," he hissed. "I'll get the message through to him in a heartbeat."

Sherry shook her head. "He won't listen to me. I don't think he'll listen to you."

"Trust me," Phibrizzo uttered. "I know what I'm doing."

_Why do I get the feeling that he doesn't?_ Sherry asked herself. She sighed. "I suspect I'm doing something stupid," she said to herself. To the stubborn receptionist on the phone, she said: "Excuse me for a minute. I'm going to turn this conversation over to someone else. Just hold on, okay?"

Not bothering to hear what the person's response was, she handed the phone to a smiling Phibrizzo. "You won't regret doing this," he murmured, holding the receiver up to his mouth and taking a deep breath.

What happened next shocked everyone in hearing range.

-------

_"Listen, fool! You don't seem to realize the seriousness of this situation! A certain figure skater was **kidnapped**, and for all we know the kidnapper could be hiding out somewhere in that very building! You think that I'm just going to sit here while that girl may be fearing for her very life? You think that I'm just going to hang around while some lousy criminal's trying to get rich quick? You are **so** wrong, mister! Get up off your cozy chair and prepare the welcome wagon, because I'm coming in on a rescue mission! If you say 'no' to me or my associate **one more time,** I'm going to sue you like there's no tomorrow! You understand me?"_

Conan's mouth fell open. _What on...? What's he doing? How's he doing that? Did Doctor Agasa give one of his inventions to him? I mean...whoa!_

Phibrizzo slowly nodded, his furious expression having toned down a little. "_Thank you. I appreciate this. You won't regret this. We'll be there shortly."_ With that, he hung up the phone and turned to tell the others. "Well, things are...guys, what are you looking at?" he asked indignantly.

Still caught off guard by the sudden vocal display, Conan turned to look at the others. Dolphin was trying but failing to keep a cheerful grin corralled. Rachel looked completely flabbergasted, and Sherry---much to the detective's amusement---looked much the same. It was hard to believe that voice could come out of a kid, but Phibrizzo had already shown that he wasn't an ordinary child. _How bizarre is that?_

Despite her shock, Rachel was the next to recover. "Wha...how...you're kidding me! You can change your voice like that? That's...amazing!"

Phibrizzo shrugged. "It's a talent."

Sherry's mind finally reset itself. "Phibrizzo...how did you that?" she asked, struggling to stay calm.

Phibrizzo turned to Dolphin. "Do I have your permission?"

Dolphin slowly nodded. With that her brother turned back to Sherry, closed his eyes, and said with a smile: "That is a secret!"

Everyone except Dolphin nearly fell over. "He's going to keep doing that, isn't he?" Sherry asked aloud, probably aware that Conan was asking himself the same question. That kid needed a keeper!

Dolphin smiled and nodded, then scribbled on her notepad. 'We should go. Time waits for no one.'

------------

_Doing that was sort of fun. That 'Mr. T' person sure has a tough voice. I wonder if...Curtis? You can stop laughing now. It wasn't _that_ funny._

"Of course it was," Curtis said after he stopped laughing. "I only showed you that 'A-Team' show a week ago; just a few minutes ago, you spoke in _his_ voice!"

"I've heard of different kinds of people," Inuyasha stated disbelievingly, "but that's insane! You mean he actually talks like that when he's performing?"

"Well, Phibrizzo wasn't perfect with it," Curtis told him, "but it still worked."

_You can say that again...and I'm planning on using this ability to the hilt. Count on it._

-----------

Time: Ten minutes later

When the group arrived at the ice arena, the receptionist that they spoke to was there to greet them. From the looks of things, he'd been expecting to see a large and powerful man there to back them up. Instead, there were three women (one of them the oddest-looking person he'd ever seen) and two children. "You're the ones, right? Where's that enforcer you had me speak with?" the receptionist asked suspiciously.

The odd-looking person scribbled a message on her notepad. 'There's no enforcer. There never was one.'

"Well, without an enforcer, you realize I can just turn you away, right? The grounds _were_ supposed to be off-limits to the public," the receptionist reminded them.

One of the boys, the one with the fireball T-shirt, stepped forward...and snapped in that same tough voice: _"You will do no such thing, fool. Get lost before I call my attorney!"_

That did the trick. The receptionist stared at the boy, stammered for a moment, then fell backwards in a faint.

-----

Most of the group stared at Phibrizzo, amazed that he'd pulled the trick off again. "I don't understand how you do that," Conan murmured in a calm deadpan, "and I don't think I ever will."

"It's not meant to be understood, Edogawa," Phibrizzo told him in his normal voice. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you, anyway. Now, what say we get to work?"

Sherry recovered. "Fine. Miss Moore? You, Conan, and that Dolphin woman will head left from the entrance. Phibrizzo and I will head right. Search for clues and/or any evidence that may lead to my cousin's whereabouts. We'll meet at the north entrance in fifteen minutes. Understood?"

Everyone nodded; Dolphin seemed perturbed at being referred to as "that Dolphin woman", but otherwise didn't react.

"Good. Get moving."

-----

"She's here," someone told him. "The cousin of Shiratori. She's brought another woman and three kids with her."

The man smiled as he spoke quietly into the cell phone. "You have to question her good judgement. She's here to deliver the ransom, and she brought children with her? That's not very common sense. We could very easily kidnap one of the kids and demand a higher ransom."

"We'll have to count the receptionist out, though," said the caller. "Shortly after the group arrived, he passed out on the floor. I don't know whether or not it was due to narcolepsy, or if he fainted for whatever reason."

The man's smile disappeared. "It couldn't have been narcolepsy. I've known him for three years, and he's never fallen asleep just like that before. It has to have been a fainting spell."

"I agree. Anyway, Sean, the group split up. The new woman, a teenager, and a smaller kid with glasses went off towards the west entrance, while Shiratori's cousin and the last kid is off heading in our direction. I don't think she knows where the figure skater's being held."

"As long as she never finds out, we've got an ace in the hole," the man replied. "We can keep Shiratori out of sight and blackmail her cousin into giving us some extra money. Having another captive should up the ante somewhat. Before long, we'll have enough money to continue our 'captain's' search."

"So, you want me to capture that kid that's presently with the skater's cousin?"

"Yes," the man said. "You go do that; and clue our agent in security that someone's on the way. In the meantime, I need to continue practice before anyone finds out what this is about. I'll talk to you later."

"Alright. Gotcha."

Smiling, he shut off the cell phone and shoved it back into his bag before heading back onto the ice. Until the money was received, he had a facade to maintain.

------

Sherry kept her eyes peeled for details as she and Phibrizzo paced around the arena's main corridors. "Stay alert," she said. "We don't know where Azusa's being hidden. For all we know, this could be a setup."

"Let me clue you in on something," Phibrizzo growled. "Before I moved to Tokyo, I never had a real home. You have any idea how hard life was for me back then? Don't tell me to stay alert. When I'm focused on a certain task, that sort of thing comes naturally to me."

Sherry arched an eyebrow, not looking at her escort. "And your sister never bothered to look after you?"

"My sister was in the asylum," Phibrizzo told her coldly. He folded his arms, indicating that the conversation was over.

_The asylum? That would explain a lot of things._ Sherry looked down at Phibrizzo for a moment, then resumed her lookout. _That kid's a total mystery. I wonder why he acts the way he does. Whatever it---_

"Hey, miss?" Phibrizzo spoke in English. "There was something I wanted to say real quick before I forget."

"What's that?" Sherry replied in kind, her eyes away from him.

"_Duck!"_

Catching the warning, Sherry knelt to the floor as quick as she could. A split second later, a person flew over her head and crashed into the wall. Turning her head, she noticed that Phibrizzo had somehow acquired a large tennis racquet; having finished his swing, he was now holding it one-handed. "Phibrizzo, what did you just do?" the scientist asked cautiously, reverting back to Japanese.

Phibrizzo smiled. "I've been playing tennis," he said.

"Yes, but that doesn't explain _that!_" Sherry told him, pointing out first the racquet and then the man that was starting to recover from his impromptu flight.

"If I told you, your logic-driven brain would overload," Phibrizzo said dryly, narrowing his eyes. Turning to the man that he'd just whacked into the wall, he growled: "Alright, mister. What's the idea of you sneaking up and trying to grab me?"

Fully recovering, the man stood up. Having a thick build and being taller than Sherry by about half a foot, he was a rather imposing sight. "I don't get how you just did that," he said, "but it doesn't matter. You'll be joining the figure skater soon enough."

"You're trying to set me up with her?" Phibrizzo asked angrily. "I have no intention of taking her anywhere no matter _what_ age I am, so forget about it!"

Sherry rolled her eyes, a sweatdrop forming. _I should've known!_ "Phibrizzo, can't you take this seriously? He's trying to kidnap you, too!"

"Trying to kidnap me _and_ force me to like her? That's low," Phibrizzo snarled. "That's _real_ low!"

The man was getting exasparated, too. "You don't seem to get the drift here, young man," he said. "I've been told to kidnap you and hold both of you kids for ransom."

"I know full well what you're talking about, you two," Phibrizzo answered, shaking his head. "Honestly, you people couldn't be funny if you tried. Still...I hope you don't mind if I decline your invitation, mister."

"Don't be funny, kid," the man told him, smiling haughtily as he walked towards them. He pounded a fist into one hand. "It's not an invitation, and you don't have any choice in the matter."

"You misunderstand," Phibrizzo said, his own grin forming as he put the tennis racquet away..._in his pocket_. "I wasn't being funny. Lady, stay out of this. I'm going to put this insignificant thug in his place."

Sherry's mind raced as she stepped back a few paces. _Did he just say what I thought he said? Did he just do what I thought he did? I just don't understand!_

The man issued a gruff laugh. "Insignificant? Kid, you don't even know what the word 'insignificant' means!"

"Of course I do," Phibrizzo said, chuckling. "This confrontation applies, too. You could be telling me where the klepto's hidden, and you're trying to capture me? Talk about stupid." He started rotating his left arm. "On second thought, _don't_. I'm getting tired of speaking to you, vermin. Move it or lose it."

The man frowned, preparing himself to charge. "I'm not going to listen to some _kid_ tell me what I should or shouldn't do. I'll do as I _please!_" he declared, running forward.

Phibrizzo dodged the man's charge a few times, his arm still gyrating. "You think I'm just another kid? Try me! _Gum Gum Pistol!_"

With unparalleled swiftness, his arm stopped spinning and burst forward, catching his attacker unawares. Unable to dodge, the thuggish man was forcibly propelled backwards into the same wall that Phibrizzo's racquet had sent him to earlier.

Sherry gasped, her eyes widening. _What's...going on? Did he just...? No, he couldn't have...! Impossible!_

Phibrizzo arm, which had nearly stretched to the wall, shrunk and snapped back into place. "Yeah, I _thought_ you needed to say that, pal," he stated, smiling. "Lady?"

A violent chill raced up Sherry's spine as she stared at the bizarre boy in front of her. _This simply can't happen. It **shouldn't** happen! The human body was not meant to stretch like that! Who is this child? Is he even human to begin with? _She looked on as Phibrizzo stuck one hand in his pocket non-chalantly; his mouth was moving, but she couldn't hear what he was saying. _He's acting as if it never happened at all! That boy's breaking every law of physics imaginable! It's...it's as if his abilities go beyond the scope of logic itself!_

A possibility occurred to her, and she shivered at the thought of it. _The rumors of Project: Clandestine DNA have some truth to them after all! That boy's related in some way to it. He has to be! If the project was a success and someone from it survived, he could've been descended from that person! It's the one thing that makes any sen---_

Her thinking was cut off in the middle as Phibrizzo approached her and grabbed her hand with the one that had been previously pocketed. Emitting a sudden shriek, Sherry pried her hand loose from Phibrizzo's grip. "What was that for?" she asked, her nerves starting to fray. "Your hand's as cold as ice!"

"Ice cube in the hand," the boy admitted. "Gets 'em every time."

Irritably, Sherry shoved her hand inside her coat. "Where'd you get the ice, anyway? It should've melted in your pocket!" the scientist protested.

"That's a secret, of course," Phibrizzo replied calmly. "By the way: if you're going to 'zone out'...I think that's the expression...wait until your freaky cousin chases me onto the ice."

Sherry's eyebrow started quivering. "And you think that's going to happen?"

"Just watch," Phibrizzo deadpanned, sweatdropping. "It will. In the meantime..." He pointed over his shoulder at the large man, who was still somewhat dazed from the unexpected---and unusual---attack. "...what do we do with this person over here? We can't just leave him."

_He doesn't know it, but he's right. There will be time to worry about his origins later,_ Sherry thought to herself. _Someone's bound to find him eventually. What do we do from here?_

-------

"So, what do we do from here?" Rachel asked as she and Dolphin examined a posted map of the arena's interior. The two of them, plus Conan, were exploring the corridor opposite that of Sherry and Phibrizzo.

After a few seconds worth of thought, Dolphin tapped a room that was set off to the side of the map. The room was labeled "Security Office".

"I don't know," Conan murmured aloud. "Back when she told us about the broken sentences that she'd heard over the phone, I'm pretty sure that 'security' was one of those words. How safe is it going to be?"

Dolphin folded her arms and stared down at him, trying to intimidate him without resorting to the expression that freaked out the client. He didn't seem very intimidated, though; if anything, he just looked more determined. _Really brave for a kid._

"Safe or not, Conan, we still need to check," Rachel said. "We should at least see if there's anyone working in the office."

Dolphin nodded, motioned for them to follow her, and took the lead as they continued down the corridor.

------

"Yes. I'm William Stevens, the head of security here at Icearc Arena," the blonde-haired, middle-aged man said, greeting the three of them after they entered his office. "I don't know why you entered the building when it's supposed to be off-limits, but I'm sure you have your reasons. May I help you?"

As Rachel explained the situation to the security chief, Dolphin examined the office warily. Most of the room was covered in strange machinery, such as black-and-white monitors, a computer, and a telephone. Mr. Stevens himself sat behind a large desk, seeming unconcerned for someone whose job was in jeopardy.

There was only one mechanical device that Dolphin trusted; it was clipped to the back of her head, concealed by her absurdly long hair. She didn't think that she'd need to use it, but time would tell if the reverse proved to be true.

"Inconceivable!" Mr. Stevens exclaimed after Rachel finished her explanation. "Kidnappers, here in this arena?"

"That's right," Conan chimed in. "This was the arena where Miss Shiratori was supposed to practice this morning. It's rather odd that she would cancel her practice on such short notice, right?"

Rachel nodded. "I've read a bit about her over the months. From what I can tell, she's not the type to give up on something when she's within sight of it."

Mr. Stevens sighed. "I can understand your concerns, miss. Unless you give me concrete evidence of your story, though, I can't do anything about it. I can't just have my team wander around on a wild goose chase."

Dolphin frowned. She wasn't completely sure, but she thought she detected a hint of nervousness in the man's voice. _He's hiding something._ She smiled. _And what do we do to someone who's hiding something? _She narrowed her eyes, going into full Steel Gaze mode. _We make him sweat. That's what we do!_

The expression wasn't lost on the man. "Look, miss, I know you're angry, but---"

Dolphin pounded a fist onto the desk, her glare intensifying. Her smile turned into a sneer. She stared unblinkingly into Mr. Stevens' eyes. In short, her expression read: 'Fear me!'

The overall effect of the stare made the man cringe. "Lady, why are you staring at me like that for?" he asked nervously.

Dolphin leaned into his face, her eyes an inch away from his. She didn't take back the glare, not even for an instant. It wouldn't be much longer now; his concentration was much weaker than that of Phibrizzo's associate. _Three...two...one..._

Not able to take any more, Mr. Stevens panicked. "That look...she's with the captain. She has to be!" he stammered to himself. "There must be something wrong here...he told me to help Hatter with this...to hide the skater...to mislead the arena security...what have I done wrong?"

Dolphin heard Conan and Rachel whisper to each other for a few seconds. Finally, Rachel spoke up. "Tell us," she said calmly. "Where is she hidden? Where's Azusa Shiratori?"

---------

"Well," Rachel said as the three of them exited the security office, "at least we know for sure that she's in the building. I wish that Mr. Stevens had narrowed it down a little..."

Conan shrugged. "Yeah, me too. At least we don't need to worry about him telling his partners that we're on to them."

Dolphin wrote something down. 'Or else he'll be jailed _and_ humiliated.'

"Excuse me. I have a question," Rachel asked, hesitating a little before continuing. When Dolphin urged her to go on, she said: "Did you perfect that stare, or does it just come naturally to you?"

Dolphin grinned innocently. 'Take some time and figure it out yourself.'

Her companions just shook their heads before continuing towards the agreed meeting place. Despite Dolphin's cryptic remark, though, Conan's mind didn't stay locked on the topic. _I think we were able to get a few clues out of that encounter. Mr. Stevens made a reference to a captain, and that said captain had wanted him to help out a person named 'Hatter'. Aside from the obvious question of where Azusa is, who are these people called 'the captain' and 'Hatter'? Are they the same person, different individuals, or something else?_

Conan glanced sideways at Dolphin, sweatdropping. _And what's with that drawing she left behind? It looked like some odd cross between a fish and a dog!_

--------

Sherry was the only one at the pre-determined meeting spot when they arrived. "Phibrizzo's back at the hallway that we investigated," she explained, trying to sound calm. "Someone tried to kidnap him a few minutes ago, so he's been trying to wring answers out of him ever since."

Dolphin merely arched an eyebrow, while Rachel and Conan gasped. "Kidnap him?" the two blurted in unison.

A nod. "Whoever kidnapped my cousin must've wanted additional leverage. They didn't get very far in their attempt; the thug that tried to capture Phibrizzo was taken out in short order. After he taped the man to the wall, he told me to meet you three here while he interrogated his attacker."

Surprisingly, Conan and Rachel were able to get over their shock pretty quickly. "I guess it isn't _too_ unusual," Conan admitted with a nervous smile, "considering these traits he keeps showing..."

Rachel agreed. "I guess his family's both strong-willed _and_ stubborn."

Dolphin stared at her, her face a mix of amusement and incredulity.

Sherry sighed. "At any rate, how'd you three fare?"

"We had a little talk with Mr. Stevens, the security chief here," Rachel replied. "Turns out he's with the kidnapper. He tried telling us that he couldn't send out his agents without proof that someone else was in the building." Smiling briefly, she continued: "That didn't last too long before Dolphin scared him into submission. He confirmed that Azusa was kept somewhere in the building, but he couldn't tell us anything else. Dolphin left a message that he'd better not warn the kidnapper, then we left."

"What kind of message?"

Dolphin looked at her smugly, as if to say: "Wouldn't _you_ like to know?".

"Never mind. Let's just see how Phibrizzo's doing at the moment."

---------

_It's no good,_ Phibrizzo thought as he stared angrily at the thug, who'd clenched his teeth and refused to say anything important. _This loser simply won't listen to the words of a 'kid'. It's times like this that I wish I could adjust my physical age._

"You're bad enough as a kid," Inuyasha remarked. "You'd probably be even worse as a teenager."

_I'd like to see **you** acting out my life every hour, every day! I'm just thinking that maybe if I was older and more stronger-looking, he'd listen to me._

"Maybe, maybe not," Curtis said, examining something. "The ball doesn't always roll that way. Anyway, we'll need to find some other way to get Azusa's location."

_Yeah, I guess so. It's not as easy as it---Curtis, what are you looking at?_

"Nothing _too_ major...just a little entertaining, is all," Curtis explained, smiling. "Something on one of these monitors started acting up when you did your 'Mr. T' impression earlier." He tapped a small device that was connected to the ceiling, then started fiddling with several controls. "If this is for what I think it's for..."

Phibrizzo frowned, seeing where this was going. _Oh no, you don't. Now's not the time for one of your experiments---_

As he said this, Curtis leaned towards the device and spoke into it. "Where is she, already?" he hissed..._in Phibrizzo's voice_.

"I'm not telling a brat anything," the thug responded, unaware of what was transpiring.

Everything was quiet for a moment, interrupted only by a distant whistle from the direction of the main arena. Curtis tapped a button, then pushed the device away from him. "Great," he said to himself. "It works."

Phibrizzo fumed silently, not letting the large man get the satisfaction of hearing his complaints. _Keep in mind, tubby: I may not be able to get you out of my head, but I can still blow you away!_

"Then do that after we get this whole thing dealt with," Inuyasha interrupted before Curtis could respond. "You want to rescue that weirdo, or not?"

Phibrizzo sighed mentally, not letting them know how distraught he felt. _Honestly...you really have a way of taking the wind out of---_

_Rrring-a-rinnnggg._

The trio were instantly alert. The thug made an attempt to break free of the duct tape, but Phibrizzo smacked his hands against it and prevented his escape. "That's my cell phone!" the man cried out. "Let me answer it!"

"Whoever that is, I'm guessing it's not from outside the building," Phibrizzo snapped, reaching into the man's coat pocket and taking the cell phone. "Let me talk to this guy!"

"But---"

_"Let me talk to this guy!"_ Phibrizzo repeated, starting to lose what little patience he had left. In the back of his mind, Curtis was fiddling with the device that allowed him to speak in Phibrizzo's voice. _This doesn't bode well_.

The man finally settled back, smiling. "Do what you want," he said. "But if I wouldn't listen to you, _he_ certainly won't."

"We'll see about that," the half-mazoku promised, reaching for the phone's "Talk" button.

"Hold on a second," Curtis said, tapping a few buttons. "Let me talk to him."

_Huh?_

"Just turn on the phone and keep your mouth moving, but let me do the talking," Curtis suggested. "Let's get to the bottom of this."

Another mental sigh. _We're going to have a long talk about this, I promise. Fine; the floor's yours; but don't expect me to make it easy for you on our "Risk" game later_.

Almost dreading what was about to happen---the human could probably embarrass him for all he knew---Phibrizzo pressed the "Talk" button and turned his head slightly so that the large man couldn't see his face clearly. He held it up to his ear, and...

---------

Practice was over and done. Some of the players had already gone through the tunnel towards the locker room. Making a few excuses that he'd practiced for several hours, the man took his bag over to one side of the rink, took out his cell phone, and dialed the number for his agent. He ought to have added another captive to their hiding place by now.

There was a dial tone for a few seconds...and a few more...and a few more. _He should've picked up by now. Surely he couldn't have had that much trouble, could he?_

Finally, he got an answer...but although the voice was the same, he suspected that it wasn't his agent that he was talking to.

"Hello. You've reached the Hired Thug Anonymous Program. If you'd like to enroll, press One. If you'd like to make a donation, press Two. If you've hatched a hair-brained kidnapping scheme, press Three..."

"Listen, Jake," the man snapped. "If this is your idea of a joke, it isn't funny. Report your progress! Have you captured the kid yet?"

'Jake' continued his prattle unabated. "...if you'd like to surrender your captive, press Six. If you're astounded that a _kid_ just floored one of your hired hands, press Seven. If you don't match any of the above criteria..."

At this point, there was a subtle change in Jake's voice; it became a tinge lighter, as if he suddenly became a few years younger. The man's eyes widened as he listened to the other person finish his statement in a sweet, sarcastic tone: "...and would instead like to join 'Physics for the Criminally Incompetent', please press Zero. Otherwise, please hang up and quit wasting my time."

"Would you get off this line?" the man muttered. "I need to talk to a man named Jake. Is he there?"

"Does he have a tendency to think with his muscles instead of his brain?" the other person asked. "Did he just say he was going to try to kidnap someone to join Shiratori? Did he just get his clock cleaned by someone who doesn't look a quarter of his age? Is he unwilling to listen to what the kid's requesting of him? Details, sir! Details!"

There was a short pause before the man could formulate his answer. "Get off the phone and let me talk to Jake. _Now_."

"Not until you answer my questions. You're the one who sent Azusa's cousin the ransom message, didn't you?" the voice said accusingly. "She doesn't take kindly to these things, and neither do I. Now, where's Shiratori?"

The man gave a short little laugh. "I don't know what you---"

"There are several things I can't stand," the voice cut in, "and lying is one of them. You tell me where Azusa Shiratori is, or we'll go through this entire building and find her ourselves!"

The man grimaced for a moment, then smiled. "I should be _so_ frightened, shouldn't I? I'm not. You don't have a scrap of evidence that the figure skater is being kept here...or for that matter, that we kidnapped her to begin with."

"Don't need any," the voice replied smugly. "The testimony from Shiratori, her ice-skating partner, and your friends here will do just fine." There was a brief pause before the voice added: "Oh, yeah. There were a few little things I almost forgot: this arena was the only one where a figure skater reported a cancellation within fifteen minutes of practice. No skater, especially one who lives in or near the Nerima district and has something to prove, would do that on the spur of the moment. Not only is it silly, it shows an inability to keep to a schedule."

The man gritted his teeth. "And the other 'little' thing, pal?"

"Your friends were talking in the background. One of the calls had them mumbling something about hating security; the other were the opening words of the cancellation notice. Honestly, do you really call yourself a criminal? Any person with an average I.Q. could figure this out if they tried."

As the voice's statement finished, one of his hockey teammates skated back onto the ice and yelled something at him. "You coming, Hatter, or not?"

'Hatter', who was getting more perturbed by the second, held down the phone and yelled something back. "I'll be right there. Let me finish with this call, first!"

His teammate nodded and skated back towards the tunnel. Hatter, meanwhile, held the phone back up to his ear...and heard the trail end of a sinister chuckle. "That guy down there helped us out more than he realized," the voice said.

Hatter's eyes widened. _No...!_

"I'm standing near a doorway that leads down to the seats," the voice explained, "and we just heard that voice. Now we know exactly where to find you. Thanks for giving yourself away!"

Just then, there was a clamor coming from the other end of the line; this was followed by a beep as the line went dead. Realizing that whoever had answered the phone would be busy for a moment, Hatter hastily went things over in his mind. _He said he knew where to find me...but that doesn't mean he knows where Shiratori is. The sooner I get off the ice, the better!_

Without wasting another moment, Hatter turned and skated off the ice. _I'm not going to be outsmarted. Not when I've come this far!_

-----------

_To be continued_


	19. Chapter Ten, Part C

WHAT INSERTION?

by Curtis Wildcat

_Chapter Ten, Part C _--- Penalty: Twenty Years for Kidnapping

--------

**(Cue theme)**

--------

Dolphin, Conan, Rachel, and Sherry arrived in time to hear Phibrizzo (in another one of his voices) finish taunting someone over a cell phone. From the way that the captured man was angrily staring at the phone, Conan deduced that it was _his_ cell phone that he was using.

_That's strange...his lips don't seem to be entirely in sync with his words. I wonder what's going on?_

"Phibrizzo!" Rachel exclaimed, getting her cousin's attention. "Who are you talking to?"

Phibrizzo pressed a button on the phone, assumably shutting it off. After slipping it back into the thug's coat pocket, he turned to greet them. "Hey, guys. How'd it go? You find where the klepto is?"

"No, but she's in the building," Conan told him. "Dolphin scared the security chief into giving that much away. Who were you talking to just now?"

"Another one of the guys involved in the kidnapping," Phibrizzo explained. "I think he may be the one who performed the actual deed. At any rate, I believe I heard someone yelling at him out on the ice...calling him 'Hatter', or something or other."

"So he's down on the ice? That doesn't really narrow it down," Rachel reminded him. "Anyone on that hockey team could be the real kidnapper."

"True," Sherry said. "Which is why we'll need to get down onto the ice and enter the rooms down there. We should try to---"

Dolphin reached over with her notepad and tapped Sherry's forehead with it. Annoyed, the scientist glared up at Phibrizzo's sister. "Okay, so what's _your_ problem?"

The long-haired woman mouthed some words angrily, a few of which Conan was able to catch; Sherry got the gist of it first, though. "We can't just send Conan and Phibrizzo down there themselves, though. It would be safer if we went as a group."

Dolphin mouthed something else, and Sherry blinked. "Oh. You trust your brother that much, huh? Question is, how are those two going to get onto the ice without some extra help? That glass in front of the seats has to be at least fourteen feet high."

"Then just toss me to the top of the glass," Phibrizzo suggested huffily. "I'll get down to the ice, push one of those nets over to the glass, and Conan can land on it. What are you so worried about?"

Sherry examined Phibrizzo's expression intently for a moment, then turned to Rachel and the others. "You know, there are times I wish I was his age. I feel I could use some of his bravado right about now."

Phibrizzo abruptly spun and walked away, wringing his hands as he headed for the nearest entrance to the arena. "Don't say things you don't mean, miss. Let's go."

"Phibrizzo!" Rachel called after him. "What should we do with this person here?" She indicated the man who was still duct taped to the wall, who was glaring at them but unwilling to say anything.

In response, her cousin took a partially-used roll of duct tape _out of his pocket_, tossing it over his shoulder. Seeing this confused Conan for a moment until he reminded himself who exactly he was dealing with. "There you go," he said. "Use only enough to keep him there until we can get the police here. And give the roll back to me when you're done."

Everyone except Dolphin exchanged looks of disbelief. The blue-haired woman only shrugged, dismissing their expressions as if it happened everyday.

----------

The five of them descended the stairway to the seats and examined their surroundings. The team that was on the ice had departed by now, 'Hatter' included; Conan had learned that 'Hatter' was what one of the players was called. It was still a matter of finding out exactly _who_, though.

As they neared the glass, they came to a halt. "So, how do you plan on getting over?" Rachel asked. "Even standing on the seats, it'll be pretty hard just to get you onto the glass."

"Guess we don't have much choice," Phibrizzo remarked quietly as a glint of light reflected off his sunglasses. "Dolphin, would you mind tossing me to the top of the glass?"

Dolphin nodded. Setting her pen and notepad down for a few moments, she picked up Phibrizzo with virtually no effort and flung him towards...and _over_...the glass. Panicking, he was able to grab the top of the glass before he fell onto the ice.

Phibrizzo glared at her while the others just stared at her, nonplussed. "I said 'to the _top_' of the glass," he grumbled, "not _over_ it!"

Dolphin picked up her notepad and wrote something down. 'You're getting down there anyway, right? I was just taking a shortcut.'

"You're sure you're not still insane?" her brother complained.

'Would I be here if I was?' Dolphin replied, miffed.

"Whenever you two are finished arguing," Sherry interrupted impatiently, "can we get on with this? We don't have the rest of our lives to spend here."

Both siblings stared at Sherry for a moment, although it was Phibrizzo who muttered: "So much for a sibling rivalry." Without another word, he let go of the glass and dropped to the ice...

Immediately upon his landing, he began struggling to keep his footing; without any traction, he simply couldn't manuever effectively. Frantically trying to keep himself steady but failing miserably, Phibrizzo finally just fell backwards and hit the ice with a _thud_. He turned over and pushed himself up, only to resume his unsuccessful struggle.

Dolphin's shoulders shook silently as she grinned like an idiot; Conan could tell that she found the spectacle hilarious, even if the others didn't. "Phibrizzo!" Rachel called, worried. "Are you alright?"

"It's cold down here, and I'm having trouble staying on my feet!" Phibrizzo growled, trying to make his way to the net. "Honestly, this is what happens when I try to help..._whoa!_...someone out. Next time, I'm just keeping quiet!"

"If anything, Phibrizzo, just consider this payback for rescuing you from Azusa the first time around!" Sherry replied, sweatdropping.

Phibrizzo growled to himself, tiring of struggling. "That'll be a topic for another time!" He reached into his pocket, surprising Conan and Rachel when he pulled out a goaltender's hockey stick and fit the curved tip through the net. Making sure it was wedged in place, he got to his feet---staying balanced this time---and slowly slid his way over to the glass.

"What's he supposed to be...some sort of sideshow clown?" Rachel asked, not believing what she'd just seen. "Tell me he just didn't take a hockey stick out of his pocket. The tape I can probably believe, but this?"

"You didn't see what he did to that man earlier," Sherry replied in a deadpan, "so you haven't seen _anything_ yet."

"Whatever it was, it can't be any stranger than this," said Conan as Dolphin climbed onto a chair, grabbed him, and hoisted him to the top of the glass. After the net was nearly under him, Conan dropped onto it, bounced once or twice before settling, and climbed down safely. Of course he had to hold on to the net to stay on his feet, but that's something else entirely.

Dolphin stared back at Rachel and Sherry, then wrote a message to them. 'I'll follow along behind them. You two find a phone or whatever and call the police.'

One of Sherry's eyebrows went up. "I thought you didn't want to go down there."

'I was more concerned about what would happen if you and Rachel went into those rooms and were caught off guard. I can't protect four or five people at once."

"Well, what if that thug manages to get loose?" Rachel asked.

'My brother tells me that you're pretty good at self-defense. Failing that, I know someone who may be able to help you out.'

"Help us out?" Sherry turned her head to see if anyone else was around. "I don't see anyone else here."

Dolphin smiled and turned to the next page in her notepad. 'That's because she's been under your noses all evening. Where I live, technology and creatures the likes of which you've never seen are everywhere.'

Rachel stared at her interestedly. "You mean you're not from Japan?"

'Correct. This creature with me is my closest friend and confidant. She'll help protect you in case you run into any of the kidnappers.'

With that, Dolphin set the notepad down and reached into her hair. As Phibrizzo groaned in disbelief, the long-haired woman withdrew a red-and-white sphere about the size of a tennis ball. As she held it in front of her, the sphere split across the middle and opened, releasing a mass of red light that slowly took shape...

Conan had to stand on his toes (while keeping one hand on the net) to see what the light was about, but he nearly fell backwards at the sight that greeted him. Sitting on the floor in front of Dolphin was what appeared to be some strange cross between a domestic dog and a fish. _What is that thing? Where'd it come from?_

Rachel gasped in wonder, while Sherry's eyes widened. Despite being of opposite personalities, they managed to say the same thing in unison: "Wow! What is that thing?"

"Somehow, I knew everyone was going to think that," Phibrizzo said, grimacing. "That creature's native to a set of islands that don't fall under Japan's jurisdiction. Some of the technology found there is on a whole other level; as far as I know, that device that Dolphin's holding is used to either capture them or keep them safe from harm."

"Yeah, but what is it? I didn't know anything like that even existed!" Conan exclaimed, hoping he didn't sound _too_ excited. He liked the idea of learning something new.

Dolphin knelt down near the creature's ears and mouthed something to it over the course of a minute. After taking it all in, the creature nodded and joined Rachel and Sherry on the stairway. Conan wondered how that was (seeing how Dolphin couldn't talk) but decided to save that thought for later.

"Maybe I should have her send over an encyclopedia or something," Phibrizzo groused. "It's called a 'Vaporeon'; Dolphin, for whatever reason, calls it 'Jetsam'. The neat thing about that creature is that it can blast you with a whole lot of water in mere seconds."

"Whole lot as in...?" Conan asked.

"Let's just say you'd never need to wait for rain again. Anyways, let's get moving. The chatter can wait."

Dolphin nodded, reclaiming her notepad and pen. Without writing down anything else, she jumped onto the chair next to her and launched herself over the glass, flipping once before landing just beyond the net; unlike Phibrizzo, she had no problems with staying upright on the ice. She then turned to her awestruck viewers and bowed.

"Sorry people," Phibrizzo announced, pulling loose the hockey stick and putting it back in his pocket. "If it's any comfort, you can get your money back at the door."

Dolphin tapped the back of Phibrizzo's knee with her foot. As expected, he flailed wildly before his chin hit the ice.

-------

"They're crazy...a-all of them," Mr. Stevens stammered as he watched the feed from the surveillance cameras. "The kid...the woman...the creature...by-products of the Project! What are they doing here? What do they have to gain by helping Shiratori?"

His telephone rang, making him jump several feet in the air. Calming himself down, he picked it up and greeted the caller. "Hello? Icearc Arena security..."

"Stevens," he heard, "this is Hatter. Report to me. Where are the would-be rescuers?"

"I'm afraid I can't tell," Stevens replied nervously.

After a momentary pause, Hatter asked: "And may I ask why not, Mr. Stevens?"

Stevens sighed. "Pain of humiliation."

Hatter sighed, having dealt with the chief's inadequacies before. "Tell me, Mr. Stevens. Which is worse: not listening to kids and freaks, or not listening to the captain? Whatever he says goes."

_The captain..._ "I understand, Hatter, sir."

"Good. You'd better. Now, where are they?"

Stevens steeled himself. "They split up again. The two younger kids and the long-haired woman are heading towards the locker rooms, while the third kid and Shiratori's cousin are heading back my way, along with a strange creature."

Hatter didn't sound too pleased. "Thankfully, the team's locker room is closed up while they get ready to head home. However, if they find Shiratori, the whole plan is wasted. Where's my hired hand?"

"You're not going to believe this," Stevens said. "He's duct-taped to a wall."

Another short pause. "Come again, Mr. Stevens?"

"You heard correctly. He's duct-taped to the wall. By the amount of it, it doesn't look like he'll be escaping anytime soon."

Stevens could practically hear Hatter thinking over the phone. "Alright. Leave the office and lock the door behind you. Take a shortcut through the seating area and free the thug, then grab the receptionist and wake him up. The three of you should be able to handle them."

"Alright, Hatter. What about you?"

"Easy," Hatter said confidently. "I'm going to stuff those kids in the manager's office alongside Shiratori and make things a little less electrifying. Go."

As he hung up the phone and made to leave the office, Stevens couldn't help but think that, despite Hatter's abilities, they had some serious problems this time around...

-------------

"Is that all I am to you?" Phibrizzo grumbled, one hand on his chin as he finally stepped off the ice. "Comic relief?"

'Partly,' Dolphin wrote. 'Would I really be called "Dolphin" if I didn't have a sense of humor?'

"Don't get started on that, now," Phibrizzo muttered. "Anyhow, do you know where we're going?"

'Do I look like a tour guide? I don't know where to look, so we're looking _everywhere!_' Dolphin said, adding several exclamation points for emphasis.

"Everywhere except the home team's locker room," Conan pointed out. "That room's likely being used right now, and chances are Azusa's not going to be in a place where she'll be spotted right away."

'You're real smart for a kid, you know that?' Dolphin stated. 'How'd you get like that?'

"Edogawa's a _detective_, Dolphin," Phibrizzo said quietly, unknowingly keeping Conan from being put on the spot. "Detectives are _supposed_ to be smart. Now, could we stop talking and start looking?"

'Good idea. I'm almost out of note paper.'

The trio continued down the hall and turned a corner, not noticing when all the lights in the main arena suddenly switched off.

-------

Pitch blackness.

She hated being trapped in a dark place, unable to move or speak. What made it worse was that it had been like this for over twelve hours. She had awakened from an unexpected ambush after a short period of time, but had been unable to escape in the three hours that she'd tried.

The only thing left for Azusa to do was bide her time...and wait.

-------

They'd never seen him move so fast, even out on the ice. The man they dubbed "Hatter" had changed from his hockey uniform to his street clothes in record time. Then, without so much as a "see you tomorrow", he'd exited out the locker room's back door.

The team's coach (who'd seen him pass by his office), as well as a handful of the players, wondered why he was in such a hurry. The coach had even gone so far as to ask him what the matter was, and the only reply he'd gotten was "personal business". They didn't like it, and the more suspicious people on the team suspected that he was up to something.

Wasn't much they could do about it. Hatter was the team's lone star player, and was the only one keeping the team in contention. If they lost him, their chances of winning would take a severe drop.

If they'd known exactly why Hatter was acting the way he was and where he was going, they would've been more motivated to take action.

After several minutes, one of the players perked up and looked at the room's main door. "Did any of you guys hear that?"

"Heard what?" asked the team's goalie, who was almost ready to head home himself.

"I thought I heard footsteps outside the door," the player said. "Where's security?"

"Calm down, Alex," the goalie told him. "For all we know, someone could be playing a practical joke on us."

The player stood up. "That doesn't comfort me all that much, Ben. I'm going to go over and see who it is."

"Alright...I still think you're being worried over nothing, though."

---------

"The light's on...the locker room's in use, all right," Phibrizzo whispered, getting up from where he'd knelt at the bottom of the door.

"Well, at the very least we can use this door as a reference point." Conan stared down the hallway, looking thoughtful. "The other rooms are bound to be locked, so it'll be pretty hard getting inside. Maybe we could see where the Hatter is, and follow him to where Azusa's being kept."

Dolphin just shrugged non-chalantly, deciding to conserve what was left of her notepad.

Phibrizzo turned away from them, taking off his sunglasses and putting them away. "Fine. It's the only thing I can think of---"

_Whang!_

Dolphin and Conan both started, wondering what just happened...then sweatdropped and winced when they realized that the locker room door had swung open and smacked into Phibrizzo's face.

"Hello?" someone asked, then poked his head through the door. "Um...you two shouldn't be here. Entering a hockey arena without permission is rather---"

Dolphin pressed a finger to her lips, cutting him off. She then pointed to Phibrizzo, whose face was pressed into the door.

The dark-haired, mustached man who'd opened the door flinched, then pulled it back a fraction. No sooner had he done that than Phibrizzo slid to the ground, a red print on his face where the door had impacted.

"Sorry about that," the man said. "You okay?"

Phibrizzo pulled himself up, his eyes angry. "I only have about three or four reasons why I'm not!"

Conan reached up and tugged on Phibrizzo's sleeve. "Calm down! It was just an accident!"

"That doesn't make my face any feel better," his friend snapped. "Hitting my head _once_ is enough for me!"

"Seriously, I'm sorry," the man protested. "It really was an accident. Now, what are you three doing here?"

Phibrizzo calmed down, remembering what had gotten them this far. "I don't know if any of you heard, but there was a kidnapping today. Everything we've seen and heard points to this building as the kidnapper's hiding spot."

The man drew in his breath sharply, surprised. Meanwhile, Conan took up where Phibrizzo left off. "Phibrizzo was able to get the receptionist to let us in so we could look around. He also caught a phone call intended for one of the kidnapper's hired hands."

"I heard someone yelling at the kidnapper while I did that," Phibrizzo continued. "I was standing near one of the doors to the seating area, so I heard it both over the phone and off of it. There was no one in the seats when we came in, so that meant only one thing: the kidnapper's one of the guys on your team."

"Seriously?" the man asked quietly, stunned.

The three of them nodded in unison.

"Then come on in. You can tell us about it," the man said, looking crestfallen at the idea of someone on his team being a criminal.

Phibrizzo and Conan slowly entered, keeping their eyes open for anything suspicious. Dolphin took a step forward, then hesitated and stopped. Seeing this, the man chuckled. "It's okay, miss," he said. "You're not intruding or anything. It's okay."

Dolphin finally decided to enter as well, although it was clear she wasn't entirely convinced.

-----------

"So the plan is to have that security chief call the police? I thought we were just going to do that ourselves," Rachel commented as the three of them headed back to the security office.

"It would be much more believable if someone in authority did it," Sherry told her. "Now, if you'll excuse the subject change, I have a question."

"Sure. What is it?"

"Have you noticed anything..._strange_ about your cousin?"

"Other than that mood swing he had the first day I met him, no."

Sherry shook her head. "Just keep an eye on him. There's something about him that worries me."

Rachel looked at her for a second, then turned away. "I'll try to, but I think you don't understand him as well as you think. He decided to help you get Shiratori back, even when he didn't really want to. Shouldn't that account for something?"

Before Sherry could answer, the strange creature at their feet---the "Vaporeon", as Phibrizzo called it---purred something inarticulate, bringing their attention back to the matter at hand. The scientist chided herself for losing track of time; the security door was directly in front of them...

And, as they soon found out, it was locked. Rachel tugged on the handle a few times, then sighed disgustedly. "The door's locked," she muttered. "Either he locked himself in, or he decided to leave early."

_Okay, so much for having someone in authority make the call._ "Guess we'll just need to do it ourselves, then---"

"_Vaporrrr!"_ the water creature cried, quieting Sherry before she could finish. Bounding a few meters away, it turned to face the door and opened its mouth, which housed a strange bluish-white glow.

Sherry was no expert with those animals, but she recognized the warning signs; the creature was going to attack the door! "Out of the way! Stand back!" she shouted, jumping back a few feet.

Just as Rachel followed suit, the Vaporeon did indeed assault the door. It wasn't with a blast of water, as previously advertised; it was with an icy ray that seemed to chill anything near it. Within seconds, the door was covered with a thick layer of ice. It wasn't finished yet, though; stopping the flow of ice, the creature stepped back a few feet and then bolted forward at express-train speed, ramming the door and causing a spiderweb of cracks to form on the ice. The Vaporeon stepped back and charged again, and the cracks widened; a final charge demolished the door, scattering chunks of ice and metal everywhere.

Both humans did repeated double-takes, startled at the creature's display. Having already seen Phibrizzo's physics-defying stunts, Sherry was able to recover first; not used to those sights, Rachel took a few more minutes to gather herself together. "Or," she finished weakly, "we could do that."

The Vaporeon crooned again, its mouth forming a smile; Sherry suspected that it was rather pleased with what it had just done. "To think that elsewhere in the world, what it did is commonplace," she thought aloud. "I just hope I never meet others of its kind; I doubt I could get used to it."

"You and me both," Rachel said, peeking inside. "Miss, it doesn't look like the chief's inside. Do you think he took off somewhere?"

"Yes," Sherry answered, gritting her teeth. "I do. Let's check the security footage; he can't have gotten far."

"That won't be neccessary; we're standing right behind you," a rough voice told them from down the hall.

As one, the trio spun to face the source of the voice. Sherry recognized the thug that Phibrizzo defeated; pieces of duct tape were still stuck to his clothes. Standing on opposite sides of them was likely Mr. Stevens---from what Rachel told her on the way here---and the receptionist, who had recovered from his fainting spell. "You have been trespassing here long enough," the receptionist warned, his eyes narrowed. "I suggest that you leave _immediately_ before we deal with you ourselves."

Rachel glowered at them, her hands clenching. "You're harboring a kidnapper and his captive," she said angrily. "Do you think we're going to leave while Miss Shiratori's in danger?"

"We're not giving you much of a choice," Mr. Stevens told her, gaining some bravado as he was backed up by the others. "A search is being conducted, and such a search requires money. The ransom from Shiratori alone is enough to fuel the search a while longer; we can gain more out of the venture by using _you_ as a ransom as well."

Sherry glanced down at the Vaporeon, trying to get a message across non-verbally. The animal took enough time out of its growling to return her stare; after a second, its eyes shined with recognition. Seeing this, the woman turned to glare straight at the security chief. "Hate to break it to you, but you've already failed."

The receptionist shook his head. "Not very likely, woman. The Hatter's out and about, meaning that your little friends aren't safe. He always gets what he wants."

Sherry's smile was half-mirthful, half-chilling. "You ever hear of the old adage: 'Never underestimate your opponent'? You've made some gross errors regarding those three. It's _Hatter_ who isn't safe."

"You're wrong," the thug argued. "What could _kids_ do to the Hatter?"

"A whole lot worse than what we're about to do to you," Sherry responded. "Vaporeon, _now!_"

Taking its cue, the creature opened its mouth and disgorged a massive high-pressure blast of water. The thug and the receptionist dodged to one side, but they weren't Vaporeon's targets. Crying indistinctly at the top of his lungs, the security chief was washed away down the hall towards the north entrance.

Rachel's eyes widened in amazement. "Wow. Guess Phibrizzo wasn't joking!" she said, awed.

Sherry's ears weren't hearing this, though. "Ssssh," she hissed, trying to listen to the thug and the receptionist as they spoke in a hushed tone. They were rather surprised, but from the sound of things they were also getting frustrated. _So that security chief was the only one armed? Either they're idiots, or they were just overconfident in their own abilities. Probably just as well; all the better for us._

The Vaporeon growled to itself. "If you're thinking of going after them, fine," Sherry said to it, "but let us take care of them first."

"You, take care of us?" the thug snapped. He reached into seperate pockets on his coat, pulling out two sections of pipe and jamming them together. "You can try, if you can stop hiding behind that monster!"

Sherry's eyes narrowed at the taunt, but Rachel kept her from showing any other emotion. "Why should we? You think you're so strong," she stated. "Step over here and prove it!"

The receptionist sighed almost mockingly. "We could've done this the easy way; now we'll have to do this the hard way." He reached into the sleeves of his sport coat, pulling out several half-length bokkens. "Don't say we didn't warn you ahead of time."

"So they're fighting with cliches? _That's_ original," Rachel muttered.

_Okay, so I was wrong about the armaments. I hate to have to resort to this, but..._ Sherry turned to face the thug. "Would you just attack already? I have better things to do than stare at your ugly face all night!"

The thug gave a start at this, bristling. "Say that again, woman."

"The big bad brute's angry at me," Sherry groaned derisively, rolling her eyes. "My hair's going to turn gray a few decades early." She turned her head aside and shielded it with her forearm. "So slow...so slow...so hopeless..."

The large man raised the pipe. "That's one line too many!" he shouted, running towards her as fast as he could.

_And the big guy takes the bait. _ Waiting a few seconds for the man to get close enough, Sherry neatly stepped to one side...just in time, too. In the half second that followed, the man swung, missed, and tripped over Sherry's outstretched foot. The man tried to catch his balance, but couldn't...and stumbled over a chunk of ice left over from the Vaporeon's earlier stunt. The act finished when said creature turned and tackled him head-on, depositing him against the wall.

The receptionist didn't take long to react, choosing to attack the other target---Rachel Moore. He never got a chance to finish his first attack, though; a series of chops from Rachel disarmed him quickly. Immediately regretting his decision, he tried to back away and escape, but he didn't get three steps before Rachel caught up to him. "Not so fast, mister!" she declared, flooring him with a single kick. The man wasn't seriously hurt, but the sight of a growling Vaporeon convinced him that he'd better not make another move.

Sherry walked over to join Rachel. "That's another thing that worries me about your cousin."

"What's that?" Rachel asked.

"His personality's rubbing off on me. I actually resorted to juvenille insults and old junior-high acting skills. I need to be more careful."

"That was acting?"

"Took a drama class once," Sherry explained tersely. "I didn't like it. I still don't." Marching forward to where a soaking Mr. Stevens was sprawled on the floor, she stepped around a large puddle of water and hauled the man to his feet. "Alright, Mr. Stevens. You're going to go into that office, call the police, and tell them that whatever group you were in had kidnapped Azusa Shiratori. _Now!_"

----------

Unbeknownst to everyone, numerous lights began switching off throughout the arena.

----------

"...and that's basically it," Phibrizzo finished. "You guys get all that?"

"Yeah, I get it," the team's goalie confirmed. "I always figured that man was up to something, and now I know!"

Phibrizzo looked around at the people who were still in the locker room. Sitting around on various chairs and benches were the team's main goalie, most of the team's defensemen, and the one who'd let them in: the team's main right wing. At first he wasn't sure if anyone would believe them when he and Conan explained the circumstances, but he found out that some members of the team had always been suspicious of Hatter's actions.

"Excuse me. Mr. Lyons?" Conan asked the right wing.

"Just call me Alex," he said. "What is it?"

"I'm just curious. Is 'Hatter' even his real name? That's what people are calling him around here."

Alex Lyons shook his head. "No. That's just a nickname someone gave him; in the games that we actually win, he always winds up scoring at least three goals. His real name's William Huey; he's about my height, has thick eyebrows, and his eyes are of different colors."

"Anything..._strange_ about him that you've noticed as of late?"

"I'll say," the team's goalie---one Benjamin Sparks---piped up. "The man likes to creep up on people and scare them for no good reason."

"Wow. Talk about a small world," Inuyasha said with a smirk. "Has that happened to you at all?"

_Laugh it up, dog boy._ "Oookay. Anything else?" Phibrizzo asked, scratching the back of his head.

"I was walking past him once on the way to my car," one of the defensemen said. "Couldn't tell for sure, but he was muttering something about lights, captains, and money."

"Hmm...when Shiratori's cousin got the third message, the line used was something like: 'Bright chances are waning; come quickly' or some other such nonsense," Phibrizzo uttered. "It's no coincidence, that's for sure. Any thoughts, Edogawa?"

"I'm pretty sure I know what the 'money' part's about," Conan said, trying to think while listening to the others' explanations. "But that doesn't answer anything about the other parts. Is Mr. Huey the team's captain?"

"Nope," Alex told him, smiling. "You're talking to the captain right now." The smile vanished as quickly as it came. "But outside the ice, he won't have anything to do with me. In fact, unless the team wins, he won't even give me the time of day."

"Speaking of not talking to him, is something wrong with her?" the heavyset Benjamin asked, indicating Dolphin. The woman was leaning against the lockers, looking discontented. "She's just been staring at the wall with that look on her face."

"You okay, sister?" Phibrizzo inquired.

Dolphin nodded a fraction, then tilted her head to stare at the ceiling lights. Abruptly her eyes widened, then squeezed shut. She held out her hands and stumbled about aimlessly, almost as if rendered unable to see. Her short walk ended when she stumbled over a discarded piece of equipment.

Everyone else in the room was immediately alert. "Miss Dolphin! Are you alright?" Conan asked, rushing over to her.

"I know she's not into technology," Curtis commented sarcastically, "but I thought she knew that even _fluorescent_ lights can hurt your eyes if you look at them too close."

"Hold on a second," Inuyasha muttered in Curtis's general direction. "Dolphin's trying to tell us something. I'm sure of it."

Sure enough, Dolphin opened her eyes and pointed at the lights. Using her other hand, she reached over near the light switch and swung a finger downward, making a clicking sound with her tongue.

"Is she okay?" Alex asked.

"Yeah, she's dandy," Phibrizzo said, puzzling over what his sister had done. "She can't talk, so she either writes stuff out or resorts to charades to make herself understood. I'm not sure what she's getting at, though..."

In a sudden fit of anger, Dolphin grabbed her notepad and scribbled something down. Conan took hold of the message and worked out the messy writing for a minute. "'The lights, you idiots! The lights are going to turn off!'" The shrunken detective's voice shook with realization as he read the woman's message. "'Hatter's going to make it impossible for us to see!'" He gave the notepad back to Dolphin and turned to face the others. "We'll have to act fast. Can one of you please help us get into the locked rooms?"

-----------

A few minutes later, after having talked to the team's coach and gotten a spare key, the three of them were searching the rooms along the lower hallways. The other locker room and several other rooms were already deemed empty; there was no sign of Shiratori in them. However, it finally happened: on their way to one of the two rooms they hadn't searched yet---the manager's office and a storage room for assorted cleaning supplies---the lights in the halls faded to black.

Conan didn't sound too surprised, thankfully; his reaction did indicate his irritation, though. "Just great. _Now_ what? I don't have a flashlight with me or anything."

Phibrizzo looked up, annoyed. "This is going to be really bothersome. You're right behind me, right, Conan?"

"Yes. I'm still here," was the affirmative response.

"Great. Grab my hand, would you?"

Conan did as instructed. "Okay. What about your sister?"

Phibrizzo heard a quiet sniffing, then heard some sort of dull sound in his head. "She's okay," he said. "She's not relying on her eyes to get around." He reached into subspace and pulled out his infrared sunglasses. "My senses aren't that good. Good thing I have some help of my own." Using his free hand, he placed the sunglasses on his face and pressed the button built into the frame. Immediately, his view directly in front of him was tinted in various shades of red.

"Help? What do you mean?" Conan asked.

"These sunglasses I'm wearing," Phibrizzo said. "I don't really understand how they work, but they're supposed to help me see in the dark as long as they've had some exposure to light beforehand. Everything's shaded red, but you can't win them all."

"That's neat. When did you get those?"

"Last week," Phibrizzo responded. "A little gift...compliments of that nutcase friend of yours."

"So Agasa's helping you out? What excuse did you give for wanting one of those inventions of his?"

"What do you mean, 'excuse'? He just called me out of the blue and said that he had something for me."

There was a moment of silence as the group walked on. "Well?" Phibrizzo asked. "Got something to say to that?"

"Yeah. Watch where you're going," Curtis said, speaking directly into the microphone. "The lot of you just walked right by the manager's office."

The parade grounded to a halt; while Phibrizzo was amused to notice that Dolphin nearly jumped straight up, he wasn't pleased to note the timing of the statement...and where Curtis was standing inside the chamber.

"Who said that?" Conan asked, turning his head every which way.

"If I told you, could you try not to laugh?" Phibrizzo uttered, his voice wooden.

Although Phibrizzo's head was turned away from Conan, he could tell that the detective wasn't sure what to think. "Um...okay."

"Alright...you remember how I said I had multiple personalities?"

"I'm _not_ a personality, Phibrizzo," Curtis grumbled. "I'm as human as Conan is!"

"Yeah? _I_ don't consume massive quantities of food whenever I'm out and about!"

"What does _that_ have to do with it?"

Phibrizzo's eyes narrowed, although he was oblivious to this. "You're _obviously_ a personality! I wouldn't down four servings of ramen for lunch consciously! The only way I'd do that is if another personality was controlling me!"

"You're still going on about that? We've been over this! That's the most absurd line of reasoning I've ever heard!"

"Well, I don't hear you doing any better!"

"_Be quiet!_" Conan shouted. "I don't know what's happening, but you're making this too confusing!"

"Who are you talking to...him, or me?" Phibrizzo asked, his voice quieter.

"Rrrrgh...what's with you? You do these eerily accurate voice impressions, you pull large objects out of your pocket, and now you're having a conversation with a person who _isn't even here!_ As soon as we get the lights back on, have him show himself. I'm sick of this!"

For a moment, Phibrizzo instinctively tried to take in Conan's irritation and anger. Although he felt a bit more wound up than before, a sickening feeling in his stomach came with it. _Egghh...old habits die hard._ "Hate to tell you this...but he _is_ here," Phibrizzo responded calmly. "He's in my head."

"Get out," Conan said, disbelieving. _Although it would explain why Phibrizzo's mouth wasn't in sync with his words earlier..._

"He's right, Conan," Curtis told him. "That voice you heard taunting Hatter earlier? That was me. Now, if we're finished, could we step back a few? You walked past the manager's office."

Everyone did as asked. Phibrizzo turned his head slightly, seeing the door. He wound up a fist, ready to pound it in---

"No one take another step. All four of you just stop where you are."

-----------

_Brilliant,_ Conan thought disgustedly, still holding on to Phibrizzo's hand tightly. He couldn't see, someone in Phibrizzo's head was talking to him, and apparently Hatter had managed to detect them. The last part wasn't hard to believe, considering the racket that everyone that the three of them had been making; but the second was supposed to be infeasible. This wasn't turning out to be one of his better evenings.

"Now, I'm going to open the door," Hatter's voice warned. "Give me the key, and step into the room...slowly."

"And what if we don't? You're just as blind as we are," Phibrizzo pointed out.

"Who says?" Hatter asked condescendingly. "The captain has...connections, so to speak. Five years ago before my professional career, I was accidentally blinded during a practice session. Through a series of coincidences, I met up with the captain. With the aid of technology years ahead of its time, he had my eyesight restored and enhanced. In exchange, I help seek out the person he's looking for. Call it a personal mission."

"So what you're saying is that your eyes are robotic?" Phibrizzo's so-called 'personality' asked.

"Indeed. My new eyes allow me to see in absolute darkness," Hatter said. "This gives me an advantage that you people don't have. Now, enough talking. Step into the room."

"I repeat: what if we don't?" Phibrizzo growled.

"I think you know."

"Whatever," said the 'personality'. "Come on. Might as well get this over with. Conan, give the man the key."

Hesitantly, Conan tossed the key forward with his free hand. "There," he confirmed. "Whoever you are, I hope you know what you're doing."

"There isn't any other alternative," Hatter spoke, likely catching the key and unlocking the door. "Stepping into that room right now is the only way to save yourself." There was a slight creaking as the door opened.

"Oh, there are other ways," Phibrizzo snickered, pulling Conan with him as he walked into the room. "Count on it."

---------

The door slammed shut and locked. Disgruntled, Conan sat down against the far wall. "Well, Mr. Personality?" he asked. "Got any ideas _now?_"

"Actually, I do," the voice said, miffed, "and stop calling me a personality. I have a name, you know!"

"Curtis, just shut up and give us your stupid idea!" Phibrizzo snapped. "Dolphin, let go of my shoulders. Staring at him won't help!"

"I know you're upset, you guys, but otherwise you wouldn't have known where the manager's office was!" the voice protested. "How am I supposed to help you around the rough parts of life if you get ticked off at me when I make a mistake or two? Conan's trusted you with something he can't tell anyone else. It's no big deal why we can't do the same with him!"

"_No big deal?_ I already told him what I could do! I thought we were even! Dolphin, I said let go of my shoulders!"

"Being even has nothing to do with it!" the voice---'Curtis', he was called---replied, sounding more and more ticked off with each passing second. "I knew the risks that were involved, but we've had to let _someone_ know about your situation! We sure can't tell the Moores or Nabiki Tendo about it; the Moores wouldn't believe it, and Nabiki would probably use it for her own benefit! Can't tell Sherry about it; bending the laws of physics _once_ is more than enough for her! It's better that we tell Conan about it; at least he can keep secrets, the impossibilities of them notwithstanding!"

"_I'll_ say they're impossible," Conan objected. "You don't hear about people talking to someone from inside your own mind everyday!"

"And you don't hear about people being shrunk by criminal organizations everyday, either," Curtis told him, hyperventilating.

_Good point._ "True..."

"Look. Sorry if we're wrecking your life and work any, but we can't help what we are," Curtis said, calmer than he was a few seconds ago. "Tell you what. Someplace where no one else'll see us, I'll show up and you can talk to me face to face. Until then, we have a plan to carry out."

"That's right," Phibrizzo said, straining to get his words out. "What's your---Dolphin, I said _let go!_---plan, chubby?"

"Well, first we have to---"

There was a muffled shout from elsewhere in the office; Conan couldn't pinpoint exactly where it was, but apparently the others seemed to know, judging by the multiple footsteps he heard. There was an obscure squeal, the sounds of chains rattling and a rope being cut, some cloth rustling, and...

"_Julien!_ Is that you?" a teenage girl's voice called.

Curtis's voice sighed. "Well, I was going to say that first we'd have to free Azusa Shiratori, but it looks like that's taken care of already."

"You mean you already knew she was in here?" Phibrizzo asked testily.

"I didn't," Curtis said slowly. "But _he_ did. He heard her moving around when we first walked in."

"'He'? You mean there's another one of you in there?" Conan asked.

"Yeah. And it's someone I think you recognize, too. Excuse me for a minute."

There was a slight pause. "What's...going on?" Azusa asked, her voice wavering a little. "Who's talking?"

"Wait for it," Phibrizzo said quietly...

Without knowing what had happened, Conan had to close his eyes reflexively as a slight breeze whistled past him and landed with a **thump**. "So the next step is to break out of here and turn the lights back on? Sounds easy enough," Phibrizzo's voice declared.

_There's something different about his voice. It sounds a lot more confident...closer to brash than anything. I know I heard the voice used like that before..._

"Take cover," Phibrizzo growled. "You don't want to get in this thing's way! _Tetsusaiga!_"

Conan hastily scrambled as far from him as he could go; Dolphin and Azusa were likely doing the same. There was a brief flare of light as something---sort of looked like a giant blade---appeared and slashed at the door, forcing everyone to flinch and duck away. The noise that Conan heard next was something that didn't need figuring out: the door had just been broken into multiple pieces! "Hey, who are you?"

"You've met me before, kid. I keep hearing about how I wind up on TV during the evening, if you need a hint." There was another momentary glare as the person sheathed his sword.

_Wha...!_ "Inuyasha? _You're_ inside his head, too? I _knew_ something was off!"

"You're not just talking to him, Conan," Inuyasha said; for a second, Conan imagined the confident grin he had when he delivered Robin June's kidnappers. "This is the real deal. Now, down to business! Kid, you stay with the kleptomaniac until I have the lights back on...those switches should be in that cleaning room, right?"

"They should be," Conan said warily. "They usually keep the circuit breakers in an out-of-the-way place in these buildings."

"We'll get over there, then. Dolphin, can I count on you to distract Hatter if he comes by?...Good. Be back in a few seconds!"

A slight _whoosh,_ and he was gone.

-----------

Dolphin could hear Azusa's happy sigh. "He's such a hero..."

"Who---Phibrizzo, or Inuyasha?" Conan asked from his spot at Dolphin's left elbow.

"I don't know about this Inuyasha person, but Julien...he's really something else!" Azusa said admirably.

Conan's reply was rather skeptical. "You do know you're around ten years older than he is, right?"

"He'll grow up eventually," was Azusa's answer. "I've never met anyone like him...except once some months ago in Nerima, but that's a whole other story."

_They don't even know he's a mazoku...or at least a half-mazoku,_ Dolphin thought, amused. _I told him off the bat it was a mistake for him to look like a cute child, but he never was too fond of listening to me._ Hearing Inuyasha's distant shout, she turned her head in the direction of the door. _Having two people inside your figurative mind...it's never happened to me, but I don't think it's an easy thing to live with. How did they get in there? That's what I'd like to know._

---------

Rachel continually tapped her foot on the remains of the security office's door, concerned. "I hope those three know what they're doing down there."

"Would you calm down, Miss Moore?" Sherry said for the third time, annoyed. "Being worried isn't going to restore the power."

"She has every right to be," the receptionist said from the floor. "Your friends have been captured by this point and stored away for ransom. The police won't get here in time before they get carted off to a new hiding spot. You should've given us the money when you had the---"

Without warning, the lights switched back on, forcing everyone to shield their eyes until they could adjust properly. While doing so, Sherry turned towards the receptionist and gave a thin smile. "Go on. Were you saying something funny just now?"

His response was a sour silence.

--------

_**WHAT?** Impossible! They couldn't have gotten loose so easily!_

After locking the kids and the long-haired woman in the manager's office alongside Shiratori, Hatter had planned on going upstairs inconspicuously to taunt her cousin and coerce her into handing over the ransom money. No sooner had he reached the top of the stairs when the lights suddenly blazed back to life, temporarily disorienting him.

As soon as he recovered, he turned around and jumped back down the stairs. After yanking open the door to the hallway, the first door he came to was the one keeping the kids inside...the one scattered in large pieces all over the floor. _Okay, who did this?_

The three people inside stood up, their stares burning into his own. The blue-haired woman stepped out, blocking his path to the supply room. Shiratori joined her, picking up a piece of the broken door; the third kid stepped out in front of them, hands stuck in his jacket pockets.

Hatter readied himself, checking to see who to take on first. _The kid in front looks like an easy target...I can capture him and use him as a---_

There was a strange _snap-hiss_ from behind him; turning just a little, he saw the final kid blocking his escape path. _Where'd he come from? If he was the one to turn the lights back on, he'd have to get around the others before I could see him!_

His eyes widened. "You're the one! You're the one responsible for all the trouble that my group's been dealing with!"

"I'll say, moron," the boy snarled, putting his sunglasses away. "No door's going to keep _me_ locked up." In the light, his eyes glittered and the fireball on his shirt seemed to stand out. "The way I see it, you can either go down quietly or noisily!"

"I have a mission to fulfill," Hatter replied coldly, tensing himself. "And I'm not making plans to fail!" He turned his head back to face those in front of him, then spun around and grabbed the larger kid's arms. Before anyone else could react, he twisted around to step behind the kid, locking his arms behind him.

This was the kind of trick that earned him the 'Hatter' moniker; he was very good at deception and speed on the ice, and this often allowed him to maintain his average of two goals a game...and getting hat tricks more often than not. Of course, he often practiced this skill off the ice, as well; it had reached the point where the 'captain' had commended him for his ingenuity personally.

Immediately, tempers flared. "You let Julien go!" Shiratori shouted, heaving the piece of door at Hatter. He ducked the shot, and the piece smashed into the wall harmlessly.

Shiratori started to pick up another piece, but the kid's shout stopped her. "Watch where you're throwing those things, you crazy klepto! In case you haven't realized, he's trying to use me as a hostage!"

"Not just trying," Hatter smirked, ignoring the uneasy feeling he was getting from the long-haired woman's steel glare. "I _am_ using you as a hostage. Sure, it's low; but I didn't get to where I am now by being a nice guy."

"Shame," the kid said, chuckling mirthlessly. "The way things are about to turn out, you would've been a lot better off being a nice fellow. It's the only thing that _does _turn out well for everyone involved, no matter who you are."

Hatter frowned down at him, his grip tightening. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

"You may be real smooth and quick when it comes to getting what you want," the kid replied, "but you fail to realize that anyone could stop you given opportunity and motive. Take me, for example. My motives are simple: I want to rescue that woman's cousin and avoid causing her undue worry. Maybe I have a soft spot in my heart, and maybe not. Whichever the case, it's more than enough for me. As for opportunity, well...heh, heh...you'll see."

"Stop speaking in riddles," Hatter told him, frowning. "You're not making any sense!"

The kid's laughter rose a few notches, sounding almost mad. "I'm making _plenty_ of sense. You're just too dim-witted to figure things out!" He chuckled for a few more seconds, then calmed down. "You may think that you've restrained me, but you're wrong. You never realized that, did you?"

Abruptly the kid vanished with that same _snap-hiss_, escaping Hatter's clutches. A split second later, he rematerialized a meter off to his side, wringing his wrists. "Alright, you hockey-playing hoodlum. You kidnapped Shiratori, tried to kidnap _us_, and now you had the nerve to use me as a shield! You think you're tough? You're _nothing_ compared to me!"

"Ooh, boy," the smaller kid muttered almost inaudibly, sounding tired. "He's going to snap."

At first, Hatter didn't know what the glasses-wearing kid meant by that; before he could ask him about it, the side of a foot rammed into him, propelling him down the hall towards the group. "_Gum Gum Whip!_" the kid cried out as he finished his kick, doing a complete 360 before coming to a stop and allowing his leg---which had stretched a few meters---to snap back to its proper length.

The group ducked their heads, and Hatter went soaring over to land five meters away from them. Having dealt with the rigors of hockey and training for the captain for several years, he was made of sterner stuff than most men; he was able to get back to his feet, albeit with slightly blurry vision as his cybernetic eyes attempted to readjust themselves. "You're kids," he muttered angrily, not admitting to himself that the odds may have been against him from the start. "There's no way you can---"

Something pricked his arm. His vision dimmed before blacking out entirely, and he collapsed to the floor.

----------

Dolphin looked on as Phibrizzo's anger cooled off. _Well, that's that. Now all that's left is to drag him back on up to the main hall. Say, I wonder if there's a staircase around here?_

Phibrizzo walked over to Conan and Azusa, staring down at the downed Hatter. "Thanks, Conan," he said. "One of Agasa's inventions?"

"Of course," Conan told him, smiling. "Who else would it be?"

"Well, who knows? Someone else could've made a watch with a stun dart and..." Phibrizzo trailed off, spotting Azusa's expression: one of happiness and thankfulness. He stammered for a few moments, took a few backward steps, then took off with the figure skater close on his heels.

Dolphin knew what was going to happen, and it wasn't going to be pretty. She went over and grabbed Hatter by the back of his shirt, then gestured for Conan to follow her towards where she believed the staircase was. They hadn't explored the entire area beneath the stands, after all; there was bound to be an exit.

-------

_Fifteen minutes later, the police arrived with Richard Moore and Azusa's figure-skating partner, Mikado Sanzenin, in tow; apparently he was the one that Richard was speaking to at the police station. During Inspector Maguire, Richard, and Deep Sea Dolphin's interrogation session, Mr. Stevens, the receptionist, and the hired man gave the details of the scheme to kidnap Azusa. In the end, William Huey "the Hatter" confessed to kidnapping her this morning before her partner was due to arrive. However, none of them would say who exactly the 'captain' was._

Conan set his eyes on Deep Sea Dolphin, who was blushing and fuming silently near one of Icearc Arena's exits. Rachel was standing near her, trying to calm her down. _After Dolphin finished her role in the interrogation and returned her Vaporeon to its hiding place, Mikado went over to her and began chatting with her. She feigned interest throughout the whole exchange, but when Mikado actually went and kissed her, she gave up the act; it took me, Rachel, and several officers to keep her from whalloping him._

Conan next turned to where Sherry was talking to Inspector Maguire. _Sherry offered to pay for the broken doors that Dolphin's pet and Inuyasha demolished, using some of what was supposed to be the ransom money. It's legit, thankfully, but it still raises the question of how much her employers pay her...and how much of it is actually legal._

_Anyhow, she agreed to come with the police back to the station to give them her statements on the grounds of confidentiality. It was pretty funny when someone noticed that Sherry had never gotten rid of the writing on her face throughout the whole experience; it actually got her chuckling for a few moments._

_It was pretty startling to me when Phibrizzo told us about Curtis and Inuyasha being in his figurative mind; that had to be the most confusing secret I've ever heard. For that matter, it's supposed to be impossible; but he and his sister keep turning things on their heads. Oddly enough, that trick with his limbs didn't startle me as much as it should've; maybe I'm becoming desensitized to his oddities... At any rate, Curtis told me he'd show up himself and talk to me sometime. I'm kind of looking forward to hearing his take on it._

_Speaking of Phibrizzo, where is he? I haven't seen him since before we went back upstairs._

Meanwhile, Maguire went over to Rachel and Dolphin. "Where's Miss Shiratori? She has to come with us to the station, too."

Dolphin jotted down a quick message on her notepad, which was almost full. 'Last I saw her, she was downstairs chasing after my brother.'

Rachel tapped her chin. "Say, you don't think---"

A tremendous, terrible scream echoed throughout the building. Hearing it rattled Conan's nerves; it reminded him of a scary movie he'd seen during a stay in Hawaii. It jolted Dolphin out of her doldrums and motivated her to race towards the main arena at full speed; everyone else, except for those taking Hatter and his group to the police cars, was motivated to do the same.

When they got there Richard and Maguire just blinked, not entirely sure what was going on. Rachel and Sherry both sweatdropped in disbelief. Mikado shook his head, used to Azusa's behavior. Conan facefaulted, and Dolphin was on the floor alongside him, lost in hushed hysterics.

Phibrizzo was propped up on the ice. His face was red, his teeth was gritted, and the pupils of his eyes had shrunk to pinpoints. A short distance away, Azusa was chastising him. "Really, Julien. You don't have to yell when I kiss your forehead; I know cute little boys are embarrassed when that happens, but come on!"

"Psycho kleptomaniac!" Phibrizzo shouted, his expression not wavering in the least.

As the discussion continued, Rachel just shook her head. "Looks like they're going to be there a while..."

-------------

Location: Unknown

Time: The following morning

"A mysterious kidnapping case came to a close last night. Professional hockey player William Huey, a.k.a. the Hatter, and several others admitted to kidnapping figure skater Azusa Shiratori before her scheduled practice yesterday morning at Icearc Arena. Miss Shiratori's cousin---who has asked to remain anonymous---stated that she had the assistance of a group of talented young individuals who were willing to take a tremendous risk in helping her out."

The reader took in the picture of a dark-haired boy before continuing to read aloud. "This young boy, who attends school in Beika, was reportedly responsible for leading the group into the Arena. With minor assistance from the vigilante Inuyasha, the group captured the Hatter and his team in short order. When questioned, the boy had this to say: 'I couldn't just sit around and do nothing. I'm not trying to play a hero, nor am I in it for personal gain; and make no mistake about it, Shiratori scares me. I'm just not about to let my conscience bother me when I know that there's something I can do to help.'"

The reader, his spectacled face in shadow, nodded as he folded up the newspaper and set it aside, deciding to read the rest of the article later. "He did well to defeat one of my weaker agents," he said to himself. "I'm not upset because a schoolboy took down someone that I favor. It takes quite a bit to succeed against me, and apparently he has the needed talent. I won't pursue him as a replacement; any child, no matter how skilled or mature, deserves his education. However, if he interferes with my search again, I _will_ find him."

The man's glasses almost seemed to flash. "Tread cautiously, for you have caught the captain's eye..."

-------------

_Chapten Ten concluded. Chapter Eleven soon to commence_

Author's Notes

Altogether this was probably the hardest (and longest) chapter for me to write thus far, and it surprised me a few times along the way. For instance, I hadn't planned on Conan learning that Phibrizzo, Curtis, and Inuyasha were a triumvirate. Some parts were really fun to write, though, such as the staredown between Dolphin and Sherry. As far as things go, I've always preferred writing humorous stories as opposed to dramatic ones. Heh, heh.

Phibrizzo's not going to show _everyone_ what he's capable of, just the people he feels he can trust.

I think I'm going to try having Inuyasha have a more major role sometime soon. His role in this chapter seemed rather low key.

For such a long chapter, I don't really have a whole lot to say. Let's move on.


	20. Chapter Eleven

WHAT INSERTION?

by Curtis Wildcat

_Chapter Eleven --- _Culinary Crisis

----------

**(Cue theme)**

----------

Time: Saturday, February 24, 1996; 11:00 a.m.

Location: En route to Ucchan's Okonomiyaki

It had been over a week since the incident at Icearc Arena, and Phibrizzo was wondering if the pressure was ever going to let up.

When Phibrizzo had returned to school on Monday, he found himself surrounded by kids of all grades who had seen his picture either on the news or in the paper. He was flattered at first by the attention he was getting, but by Wednesday it was starting to get rather stifling; by Friday, he was tired of everyone asking him for details. If it were up to him, he'd hide somewhere and wait for the situation to blow over.

It wasn't any easier this morning. Earlier Marcus had set up a dentist appointment for Phibrizzo, coincidentally at the same dentist's office that Conan's friend George went to. When Curtis informed him what a checkup typically consisted of, it got to the point where Inuyasha had to force the half-mazoku into the dentist's office and into the chair. The dentist had seen the news too, and she was curious about what had transpired as well.

The lone bright spot in the morning: no cavities.

The worst part of the morning: his gums and teeth still ached from the cleaning.

Immediately after getting home, Phibrizzo ducked behind the house and teleported to Nerima, intending to see if lunch would ease the pain in his mouth. Afterward, he figured he'd probably head to Cerulean City to train his Flareon. However, he didn't get more than a few feet from his arrival point when he found himself face to face with the oddest creature he'd ever seen in his life...and that's saying a lot.

The creature was about four and a half feet tall, walked on four legs, and probably weighed more than an African elephant. It had purple eyes, tremendous incisors, a long and thick tail, and orangish-yellow fur that seemed to glow blue. In its mouth was a fish bone; the creature gleaned whatever meat it could from it, then snapped it in half and spat it back out. When the bones hit the ground, they dissolved in a small puddle of acid.

Phibrizzo stepped back, feeling a little sick. "What on earth...? No way that thing's natural around here!"

"And I'm almost _over_ a sickness," Curtis groaned. He grabbed a blanket and tossed it over his head. "Let me know when it's over!"

"Whatever it is, don't let it bite you," Inuyasha warned, not fazed all that much; he'd seen much worse than this.

_Who says **I'm** going to fight that thing? I'm not touching it. **You** go out there!_

"Oooh," Inuyasha taunted. "What's the matter, spineless or something? Wait a second...don't answer that!"

_Fine...but I'm still not touching it!_ Phibrizzo cupped his hands together and formed a small sphere of black fire between his hands; it would only be at half-strength, but hopefully it would be enough. "_Dark Harsh!_" he cried, releasing the beam.

The blast of fire struck the creature, then fizzled out. More startled than afraid, the monster screeched, turned on its heels and fled. The quaking from its escape rattled the street for a bit, then slowly stopped.

Phibrizzo sat down heavily, feeling the effects of using the attack. "Now I think I need that lunch more than ever...just let me rest for a bit first."

Curtis removed the blanket from his head. "What was that thing?"

"Got me," Inuyasha said. "It sure didn't smell like anything I knew."

"Excuse me, Phibrizzo?" shouted a familiar voice. "Are you alright over there?"

Phibrizzo looked over his shoulder as Kasumi jogged up to him, an arm full of groceries. "Hi, Miss Tendo," he greeted her. "I'm just a bit worn out, that's all."

"A bit worn out? What happened?" Kasumi asked, stooping down.

"Came across this large creature on my way to Ukyo's restaurant for lunch," Phibrizzo explained. "Didn't look like anything I'd ever seen. I was able to scare it off, but I don't feel like doing much of anything right now."

"Oh, my. I see," Kasumi said, nodding in understanding. "You feel well enough to follow me? You can rest for a bit at our house, if you want."

Phibrizzo struggled to his feet. _I guess it wouldn't hurt._

----------

Location: Tendo residence and dojo

It didn't take long for Phibrizzo to do exactly what Kasumi suggested when he arrived. Despite needing to remove his shoes and acknowledging the panda Genma and Soun Tendo (who were, true to form, cheating each other blind at shogi), it only took him ten seconds to stagger over to the couch and sink into it. Fumbling around for the remote control, he pointed it at the TV, turned it on, and started flipping channels at random.

"How nice. He's integrated himself into human society," Curtis commented sarcastically. "Nothing like a half-mazoku bored out of his wits."

"Well, it's either this or face one of those creatures again," Inuyasha remarked from his chamber.

Curtis shuddered. "Let's not bring that up again, okay?"

Meanwhile...

"---delightful scent of Flaxen. Make your house---" _Click._

"---a nervous wreck! Do you know how much trouble I went to so I could---" _Click._

"---buy this wasabi! It's really tasty, guaranteed to make your taste buds---" _Click._

"---scream like a girl, you miserable rodent! Face the fear-inspiring---" _Click._

"---Azusa Shiratori had this to say about last Friday's incident: 'Julien is sooooo---" **_CLICK._**

The door to the house opened, but the couch's occupant ignored it for the moment. "Don't you dare finish _that_!" Phibrizzo grumbled aloud.

"Hey, Phibrizzo," someone said, greeting him as she entered the house. "What are you doing here, and why are you talking to the TV?"

Phibrizzo turned his head, confirmed that it was Nabiki who had entered, then turned down the TV's volume. "Recovering," he muttered, tired.

"Recovering?"

"Recovering. I had a dentist's appointment this morning, and I thought that lunch at Miss Kuonji's restaurant would ease the pain in my mouth. When I came to town, I met up with a real grotesque creature and tried to blast it. I scared it off, but the effort's left me feeling drained. Kasumi came along and offered to take me over here to rest." He shrugged. "The abridged version."

Nabiki nodded in understanding. "This creature you met...what did it look like?"

Phibrizzo mentally gazed at Inuyasha and Curtis, then refocused on Nabiki. "It was big, orangish-yellow, glowed blue, had purple eyes and acidic saliva. Why?"

"No real reason..." she said, pulling a photograph out of her pocket. "...except that it may not be the only one in Nerima."

Phibrizzo squinted at the picture. "Yeah, that's definitely the same animal. Where's Ranma?"

Nabiki shrugged. "Got me. There was another run-in with Kuno after breakfast, and I haven't seen him since. Why do you ask?"

"I was kind of hoping he could re-energize me." Phibrizzo glanced briefly over at Soun and Genma before continuing. "I can absorb energy. Fire works the best, but I can use Ranma's energy attack if I need to."

"I thought food typically does that to a person," Nabiki replied with a straight face. "Are you sure you're human?"

"Yes, it does," Phibrizzo said, ignoring the question. "Problem is, I don't have enough strength to go to Miss Kuonji's or Elder Cologne's restaurants, and I don't want to inconvenience your sister any."

"You're not being an inconvenience," Kasumi said as she entered the room, carrying a bowl of soup. "We enjoy having people like you around."

"Well, in that case, thanks!" Phibrizzo declared. Snatching the bowl, he gulped down the soup without caring about what comprised it. If Kasumi made it, it wouldn't matter what went in it; it would still be a delicacy.

Nabiki blinked. "You know, Phibby," she told him, "you really should eat that at the table. Where were you raised, in America?"

Phibby nailed her with an ice-cold stare as he stood up, feeling some of his lost energy returning rapidly. "Nabiki Tendo..."

"Yes?"

"...Don't call me Phibby. It's too childish."

Nabiki, Soun, and Genma sweatdropped simultaneously. "Unusual child," Soun commented quietly. "It's as if he's trying to be both rude _and_ polite."

"It's not like I didn't want to get up," Phibrizzo said as he turned to face the Tendo patriarch, handing the empty bowl back to Kasumi. "But when I say I feel drained, I'm serious. I barely had the strength to walk over here with Kasumi." He stretched a little. "Much better. I don't mean to steal your act, Miss Tendo, but do you mind if I check the refrigerator for anything edible?"

"You sure?" Kasumi asked. "I could get it for you, if you want."

Phibrizzo shook his head. "You're not the only one around here who knows how to do stuff," he said, getting up and shuffling past the two men and Kasumi. "If I want something, I go and get it. I don't just sit around and wait for it like _some_ people."

He entered the kitchen, walked up the fridge, opened it...and launched himself back out of the room reflexively. "You call this stuff 'leftovers'?" he cried. "Please tell me it's left over from a power plant or something!"

"Don't get all huffy," someone warned, irritated. Phibrizzo turned just far enough to see Akane, who had most likely been upstairs when he came. "You shouldn't be that drastic. I made that stew for dinner last night."

The half-mazoku's ire found a target. "Ha! If that's stuff's digestible, I'll start yodeling---and that's not something you want to hear, believe me!"

"It's not _that_ bad."

"Actually, it is. I tried yodeling once just to see what people saw in it. Started a huge avalanche."

Akane shook her head. "I meant the food, Phibrizzo. The _food's_ not that bad."

"Don't get me started on the food," Phibrizzo growled. "That stuff looks like the monster I met a few minutes ago; smells like it, too. It's no wonder Ranma won't eat it!"

'You're treading on dangerous ground, boy,' Genma warned via a sign.

Akane's eyes narrowed, glaring alternately at Genma and Phibrizzo. "Stay out of this! You've never even tried it, so you don't have the right to judge it!"

Phibrizzo sighed, wearing a defeated expression. "Guess there's only one way to convince you that your's food poisonous," he groaned. He trudged his way back into the kitchen, retrieved the 'stew' from the refrigerator, and brought it back into the room. "Listen to me, and listen carefully! I'm going to eat as much of this as I can. Nabiki, I hate to put you on the spot like this, but if it harms me in any way, your sister is going to have a lawsuit on her hands!"

As one, everyone who heard this gasped, Inuyasha and Curtis included. "Talk about testing the system," Inuyasha groused. "Phibrizzo, don't be stupid!"

Phibrizzo turned his sight inward, so to speak; to everyone else, it looked as if his eyes had lost their shine. "Shut up, dog breath," he snapped, gritting his teeth. "If it's one thing I can't stand, it's someone who can't see what they're doing!"

"You're not any better," Nabiki said, knowing that she was entering dangerous territory. "You said yourself that food looked like the monster you saw. If by some chance the stew did that, who's to say that it wouldn't do something worse to you?"

"She's right, Phibrizzo," Curtis agreed, making sure the microphone in his chamber was on. "Try to think with your head instead of relying on your instincts! You shouldn't need to endanger yourself just to prove a point!"

"Tough beans, flabby," Phibrizzo retorted, taking a spoon out of his subspace pocket. "I'm trying some."

"You're going to regrettt thisss," Inuyasha and Curtis both warned in a sing-song tone.

"Proof now, regrets later!" With that said, he dug in...

Immediately after swallowing the first few spoonfuls, he felt his strength and power shoot past their maximum limits. Phibrizzo knew now that he could tangle with those creatures and cut them down to size! His entire body, especially his hands, glowed a deep purple. He felt as if he was going to burst any second...

Then it hit him, much like Babe Ruth smashing one out of the ballpark or a wrecking ball demolishing an abandoned building. A wave of queasiness washed over him, and a jolt of pain brought him to his knees as the full impact of the meal kicked in. "Maybe...that wasn't the best decision after all..."

--------

Everyone waited with baited breath for Phibrizzo to recover. Akane admittedly had mixed feelings; she had truly tried to fix something good and she didn't like it when others downgraded her efforts, but she still hoped Phibrizzo was alright. _Should I have been that upset with him? Bizarre or not, he's still only a kid._

It took a minute for him to recover. In addition to the purple glow, his skin was tinted a bright orange. The whites and irises of his eyes were now a dark blue, and his hair had turned indigo. When he spoke, his voice sounded strained. "Alright, it's good news/bad news time. The good news is that my energy is at my maximum, possibly even higher; I also don't have any reason to sue Miss Akane. The bad news is that this stuff is repeatedly eating away at my insides as it works its way to my stomach; I say 'repeatedly' because I can regenerate from any damage dealt to me. I'm sure you can imagine what I'm going through right now."

Genma cringed. 'Good thing I skipped out.'

"Can something be done about it?" Soun asked, his tear ducts threatening to shift into third gear.

"About all I can do is get rid of the excess power and tough it out until the food reaches my stomach. At that point I can use it for one final burst of energy."

"Are you going to be alright?" Kasumi asked, worried.

"I'm hardly ever 'alright', but I'll manage," Phibrizzo said, managing a smile and turning towards Akane. "Miss Akane, I know you don't like boys, but are you willing to take a piece of advice from one? I won't insult you or anything."

Akane hesitated before she spoke. "I suppose so."

"Watch Kasumi. See how she does it and learn from her example. It may not neccessarily work, but it's still worth a shot."

"Believe you me," Curtis's voice added, "it's as close to a friendly hint from him as you're going to get. He's not exactly known for being good-natured."

"Fatty's right, as much as I don't want to admit it," Phibrizzo said grudgingly. "Nabiki, where did you take that photo?"

Nabiki thought back for a moment. "About four blocks north of here. Want me to point the way?"

Phibrizzo shook his head. "Thanks, but you don't need to. I'd like to think I know the streets pretty well by now. Thanks for putting up with me!"

"You're welcome. Anytime," Kasumi said, smiling as she took the bowl of 'food' from Phibrizzo's hands. Immediately after she did so, he bounded towards the door and stopped only long enough to put his shoes on before he left.

"Rude...polite...determined...you can probably add 'apologetic' to that list," Nabiki said to herself.

"Indeed," Soun added, sounding surprisingly calm as he made a move on the shogi board. "He's a rather puzzling child. He attempts to be mature while trying to hide his own immaturity. Not everything about him is evident."

Genma nodded knowingly before making a move of his own. Akane continued to stare at the door, fists clenching with determination. She'd get better someday; she knew it!

---------

Inuyasha stayed close to the front of his chamber, his ears twitching. "It's nearby," he announced. "It hasn't gone very far."

Phibrizzo groaned as he struggled to keep his surging energy under control, dashing down the street as fast as he was capable. He paid no regard to the large footprints that the creature had left behind. _How far?_

"Keep going," the hanyou instructed. "A little farther, and...there it is!"

Sure enough, the monster was directly at the spot where Inuyasha was pointing. It was presently nosing around in front of someone's house, lapping up the ice cream that was spilled there. Phibrizzo didn't hesitate. "Hey, listen to me! You're so low, you'll eat off the ground! Look over this way!"

The creature looked up from the ice cream and examined Phibrizzo, sizing him up. It turned towards him and squealed loudly, the noise piercing the air around it. After another squeal, it charged towards him and swatted at him.

Phibrizzo dodged it, of course; even though he wasn't wearing his fireball shirt today, he didn't want his parents asking any questions. As the monster attempted to swipe at him again, he was sure he saw trails of acid flowing behind it. "Self-regenerative or not," Curtis said, "that stuff will still burn you. Don't let its claws touch you!"

"Whatever it was that was in Akane's stew must've been ingested by this thing," Phibrizzo thought aloud, cupping his hands. "Let's see if we can wear it down some! _Dark Harsh!_" he shouted, the black fire beam once more exploding from his palms.

The Dark Harsh struck the creature; instead of fizzling out, it kept up its assault for about seven seconds. When Phibrizzo finally stopped the beam and saw its effects, he whistled; the monster had actually survived the blast. However, its glow was receding; the orangish-yellow fur was starting to appear more of a tannish color; and it seemed to have lost some of its mass and size. "I'm starting to wonder about the effectiveness of that move," he muttered. "That's the same amount of firepower I used against that Arcanine."

"And...how do you feel?" Inuyasha asked.

"I still have plenty of energy left," Phibrizzo confirmed, wincing as Akane's food continued to burn its way through his body. "Curtis, how far would you say that stuff in my system has gotten?"

There was a brief pause, during which the half-mazoku dodged the beating of the creature's tail and several angry swipes; one of the attacks was about a half-inch away from cutting his sleeve. "It's about halfway to your stomach," Curtis told him. "I think it's taking its sweet time. I'm not sure."

"Then let's keep at it, then!" Phibrizzo threw his arms forward, corkscrewing his hands in mid-air until they grabbed the creature's body. He took a flying leap over the monster, hefted it into the air and untwisted his arms, taking his target for a spin. With a cry of "_Gum Gum Gavel!_", he slammed the monster back down at a point opposite of where it had started.

Phibrizzo's arms snapped back into place, and he watched as the creature slowly recovered. It had lost even more mass and height, to the point where it only reached his mid-section. The incisors had shrunk, and its eyes were more yellow than purple. For all intents and purposes, it didn't seem threatening; but when the creature squealed, a few drops of acid still dripped from its teeth. _Yuck. I hope I don't start drooling like that._

Inuyasha examined the creature for a second. "I think I'm starting to get what it's supposed to be," he said. "It looks like some sort of giant rat."

"Likely, yeah," Curtis agreed. "I think this rat either got into Akane's stew after she made it, or in the trash."

"The trash?"

"Yeah. Where else do you think Akane's cooking deserves to go? As nice as Kasumi is, I wouldn't put it past her to dispose of it there."

"Good point. If she'd made a first batch, anything could've happened to it. The thing is, how many of those rats got into it? They could be all over Nerima for all we know."

"All the more reason to find them," Phibrizzo told them, avoiding the snapping jaws of the mutant rat. He drove the creature upwards with one of his vertical kicks, then threw his hands _backwards_. "Let's take this one down and get moving! _Gum Gum Bazooka!_"

Having stretched as far as they would go, his hands shot back forward and slammed into the giant rat with tremendous force. As the rodent was sent blasted into the distance, Phibrizzo was positive he saw the rat shrink back and turn back to normal; this was confirmed by his personal peanut gallery.

A distant shout caught his attention, and he turned to face it. A moment later, a spiralling tornado formed...carrying another one of the creatures within it. Over the course of about a minute, the orange dot shrunk until Phibrizzo could no longer see it. "First time I've seen a rat fly," he chuckled to himself, teleporting over to the disturbance.

Sure enough, Ranma Saotome was standing victoriously in the middle of the road and watching a small rat scurry away. He turned to face Phibrizzo, did a quick double-take at his physical condition, then relaxed. "Oh. Hi, Phibrizzo," he said off-handedly. "Almost didn't recognize you there. What happened to ya?"

"Long story short: I wanted to prove to Akane that her food's poisonous, so I ate some of it," Phibrizzo told him, wincing at his internal pain. "It gave me energy like you wouldn't believe, but it's steadily eating my digestive system. I can regenerate from damage, but I'm not looking forward to what'll happen when it hits my stomach. Until then," he said, pointing to his face, "I'll need to deal with looking like _this_."

"You actually _ate_ her food?" Ranma asked. "I don't know whether to call you brave or stupid."

"Call me both. Are there any more of those creatures?"

"Dunno, but if you want to look around, go ahead. I was about to do the same."

"I'll join you, then."

----------

The woman had certainly seen some strange sights in her life, but nothing could've prepared her for what she'd seen just a second ago. She'd just opened a window to let in some fresh air, and something hurtled into the room and landed deep inside a pillow. She jerked back reflexively as the rat that Phibrizzo had clobbered crawled out dizzily before it fell unconscious.

Before removing the creature from the premises, Nodoka Saotome resolved to check around for flying rodents before she let any air into the house.

----------

As the two made their way to the rooftops and started their search for the remaining rats, Phibrizzo couldn't shake the feeling that something really awful and stupid was going to happen. He concentrated on jumping from building to building, trying to shut out his chest's complaints and Ranma's muttering until...

"_Watch out!"_

The three shouts snapped Phibrizzo back to reality in time for him to dodge a concentrated gout of acid. Snagging a second-story windowsill, he dangled from one hand and dropped to the ground. "Thanks, you guys," he said, glaring at the oversized rodent that occupied the center of the street. "Is that the one?"

"Dunno about the 'one', but it's pretty big," Ranma confirmed. "What do ya mean, 'you guys'?"

Phibrizzo handed him a few yen bills. "Give these to Miss Nabiki and have her tell you the whole story," he growled. "There's no time! Think this is the 'boss rat'?"

"It's bigger than that other one I faced," Ranma said, nodding as he pocketed the yen bills. "That's for sure."

Phibrizzo frowned. "Hopefully it's the last one. Let's take it down; and whatever you do, _don't touch it barehanded!_"

Ranma smirked his agreement, waited for the mutant rat to make the first strike, then dodged the acid and shot forward. The rat reflexively struck, but the pigtailed boy was already out of the way. He jumped a few meters back and fired off a Moko Takabisha, safely out of range of the resulting explosion. Well aware that his attack hadn't damaged the rat too much, he waited until it spat some more acid at him before he went back on the attack.

Phibrizzo joined him at this point, the glow around his hands turning black as their temperature rose. He repeatedly threw punches and allowed the elasticity to build up; after a few seconds had gone by, his arms were flying so fast that they almost seemed nonexistant. "_Gum Gum Heat Wave!"_ he yelled, maintaining the volleys for as long as he was able.

Inuyasha joined Curtis in his chamber. "The rat isn't shrinking much, is it?"

"Only a little at a time," Curtis said, looking disgusted at the creature's appearance. "You get the feeling that this thing actually _enjoyed_ Akane's cooking? It looks to me like it had a whole lot to eat."

"Maybe," Inuyasha thought audibly. "But there's something wrong here. If that's true, why'd it eat so much? And what's that white stuff on the corners of its mouth?"

Curtis put on a pair of glasses and leaned forward a little, then paled. "If that's what I think it is, we may have a disaster on our hands. Glad you caught that!" He jumped out of his chair and activated the microphone that allowed him to speak to outsiders. "Phibrizzo! Ranma!" he shouted. "That thing has rabies. Keep away from its mouth!"

Phibrizzo stopped his attack and leapt out of reach of the creature's thrashing tail. "You mean it's diseased? That would mean its mind was too far gone for it to care what it was eating!"

"Wish you could've told us that sooner!" Ranma lobbed another Moko Takabisha at the rodent's face; this tactic only distracted it for a few seconds. "This monster isn't losing its weight like the last one! Hang back. I'll try to lure it into another spiral!"

"Whatever works for you, I guess." Phibrizzo took a few more steps backward. "Just try not to take too---"

Phibrizzo's skin, which had been slowly turning back to a normal hue, suddenly turned yellow. The internal burning that had bothered him ever since he swallowed the stew reached a new high as the concoction finally reached his stomach. Since any food that reached his stomach immediately went straight to his energy, the power trip he'd had after he swallowed the stew doubled in its intensity; it took all his willpower to keep from screaming.

In his current state, he'd be suffering from this the rest of the day. He had to get rid of all the excess power, and fast! "Ugh, I feel so bloated...Guys, I'm sorry," he forced through his teeth, "but I can't leave anything to chance. Ranma, forget the tornado. _I'll_ take the pest; _you_ get out of range!"

"You sure about this?" Ranma asked, avoiding both the mutant's acid and teeth as he did so. "You're not looking so hot."

"Don't even kid about that!" Phibrizzo warned, cupping his hands in front of him. "I've got all the fire I need right here! _Dark Harsh!"_

Ranma's reflexes kicked in, and he was out of the way long before the fire beam ever reached its target. Along the way, the ground directly beneath the beam was burned clear through. When the Dark Harsh actually began to smother the mutant's thick defense, said mutant's front feet were engulfed in a thick quagmire of cement and mud.

"We'll need to put that rat out of its misery," Inuyasha mumbled. "If it has rabies, then it would probably be the most humane thing to do. Curtis, is that thing shrinking yet?"

"Yeah," Curtis told him, "but not by much. It _is_ working, though. That's the most important thing."

_I've got to do something about this attack,_ Phibrizzo told them, keeping up the intensity. _It's just not doing the trick!_

"It's doing fine, Phibrizzo," Curtis said reassuringly. "The heat's fine. That thing's hide is just pretty thick."

_Look, I was once able to carve out my own home with this move. If it can go through rock, it can certainly go through this flea-brained reject!_ Phibrizzo could feel his arms pulsing as his amplified reserves steadily decreased. _This is insane! This is---what is that idiot doing?_

While the mutant rat was occupied by Phibrizzo's beam, Ranma had crept up behind it and began moving in a shrinking spiral. "Saotome, what are you doing? I told you to stay back!"

"Just keep up that blast, and don't ask questions!" Ranma shouted back. He finished the spiral and threw a quick uppercut. "_Hiryu Shoten Ha!_"

A tremendous tornado ripped through the air with Ranma at the center. As the cyclone was lit aflame by the Dark Harsh's heat, it grabbed hold of the enormous mutant, pulled it free of the quagmire, and put it in a spin cycle.

As asked, Phibrizzo continued to pour energy into the tornado until he could do so no longer. As his attack dwindled and stopped, he stared down at his hands and noted that they had returned to their normal cream-colored state. He stepped back a few paces, watching the blazing tornado rage on with the rabid mutant still within it. "That had better be the last one," he said to himself. "I don't feel much like fighting another one of those things. I just want to get to Miss Kuonji's restaurant."

"What about Ranma?" Inuyasha asked, frowning. "Isn't that thing going to burn up him _and_ the monster?"

"Nothing we can do about it except wait and see," Curtis told him. "Here's hoping that he's everything that everyone says he is."

Over several minutes, the Hiryu Shoten Ha did its work on the trapped mutant. When it was finally over, the flames---and the tornado---extinguished themselves. Ranma stepped back a few feet, perspiring heavily; despite being trapped by Phibrizzo's black flames, he was able to avoid coming into direct contact with it.

The mutant rat, now restored back to normal, dropped to the ground. What the combined attack hadn't done, though, was cure its rabid condition. Squealing angrily, it darted straight for Phibrizzo.

A Gum Gum Pistol, combined with its damaged nerves and the strain of having dealt with two highly intense attacks, put the diseased rodent out of commission for good. Phibrizzo stared out at it, feeling oddly ill. He _had_ gotten the stuff out of his system, hadn't he? "Hey, Ranma," he said quietly. "Could you do me a favor?"

"Sure." Ranma walked over to him, looking as discomforted as he was.

"Would you mind looking around Nerima to see if anything else ate that stuff? I'm just going to grab lunch at Ukyo's restaurant and go home." Phibrizzo closed his eyes. "I think I just lost my motivation." He turned and slowly ambled off down the street, not waiting for the martial artist's response.

----------

Time: Twenty minutes later

Having enjoyed another delicious okonomiyaki, Phibrizzo immediately teleported home from Nerima. He'd planned on continuing training his Flareon outside Cerulean City, but after the experience with the rabid rat he just didn't feel up to it. After talking to Sylvia and getting permission, he instead just ambled around the neighborhood aimlessly.

There was something about the whole experience that didn't seem right to him. He'd gotten rid of all the excess energy the only way he could. He'd made certain that the tremendous, diseased vermin was euthanized. Nabiki had even called him via cell phone, telling him that Akane had reluctantly agreed to have the food disposed of properly; he didn't have to worry about mutant rejects running loose. The ache in his gums and teeth had worn off eventually, and he was thankful for that.

For some reason seeing what he'd done sickened him to the core, even after everything he'd told himself to justify his actions. Silently, he made a promise to himself: no matter how much the mazoku side of his nature demanded it, he'd never do such a thing again. He'd never hesitated before, but never before had he felt this way.

"Little brats shouldn't look so melancholy."

Yanked out of his thoughts by the remark, Phibrizzo stared upward into the smiling face of Aisha June. "Miss June? What are you doing here?"

"Doing various odd jobs for people, but that's besides the point," Aisha told him. "Jim---you remember Jim, right?---got a higher paycheck than usual from his boss. We thought we'd hit the music store and the theater this afternoon. Care to join us? Mom thinks it's alright."

Aisha's good mood was infectious; Phibrizzo was smiling broadly by the time she finished. Without hesitating, he grabbed a hand and told her to lead the way.

Curtis and Inuyasha were smiling, as well. They knew the feelings that Phibrizzo had been having. Whether the 'firebrat' knew it or not, he'd had an experience with an emotion that no mazoku had ever developed: guilt.

"So, I heard you rescued an up-and-coming figure skater. What's with that?"

Of course, there was one emotion that could never be dealt with in his case: exasparation.

-----------

Time: Early evening, after dinner

That evening, Sylvia had suggested that Phibrizzo switch on the television so that he could see his stepfather at work. Not having anything else to do at the moment, he did so and immediately started channel flipping. If nothing else, it sure was entertaining.

"Stay tuned for tonight's episode, when the Masked Yaiba---" _Click._

"---claims that he deliberately pushed him into the hole. Attorney Nami Keeler's answer was that---" _Click._

"---listening to quiet music will soothe your children. When older, they will---" _Click._

"---not understand baseball's rules, you fool! The people who attend the games have no right to---" _Click._

"---say that you can visit the Beika Museum on March 12-16, when the works of Austrian artist Sharon Gold will be on exhibit."

Phibrizzo settled into the couch alongside Sylvia, listening as Marcus gave his news report. _This doesn't sound too bad. Now I get to hear how his job goes._

"This statement came on the heels of the announcement that the museum would stay open to the public. Miss Gold, the world-renowned child painter, didn't elaborate on what her drawings consisted of; but she did imply that they have spanned her entire career up to this point. For such a talented artist, that has to say a lot. That's at Beika Museum, starting March 12 at 9:00 that morning.

"Next is a rather surprising report, to say the least. Ever since Mrs. Maria Cliffowski was arrested at Teitan Elementary early this month, officials have been searching for a permenant replacement. This morning, the principal Mrs. Valen received a call from the famous American prodigy Wanda Fitzgerald. Miss Fitzgerald, who recently obtained a master's degree at an age when children are finishing elementary school, is flying to Japan to meet with local officials. If all goes well, she will begin work next week. Some have questioned whether she is fit to teach, but she responded by saying: 'I've wanted to teach for years, and now's my chance. What exactly have _you_ done with your life?'" Marcus smiled at this, then continued. "Time will tell if she can live up to those words.

"Finally tonight, this station received an anonymous letter from a fan yesterday. The sender has asked that this letter be read on the air. And so it reads: 'Julien, you are so terrific. You are hereby invited to my next competition, appropriately to be held at Icearc---"

"Arrrghhhh!" _Clickclickclickclickclick **fwooosh!**_

Phibrizzo snarled as he slammed the remote onto the couch and stood up, heading towards the stairs in a huff. Surprised, Sylvia got up and rushed after him. "Phibrizzo, was that really needed? I was watching that! Now I'll need to call the station and see what else that letter said!"

"If you want to go to that thing, go without me," Phibrizzo growled. "I don't want to be in the same building as that psycho ice skater, and that's that!" He stomped up the stairs, went into his room, and slammed the door behind him.

-------

Sylvia stood there, slightly perturbed at his out-of-character statement. "Honestly. Where does he get off behaving like that? I sure didn't teach him that. Unless..._he's_ this Julien person?" She smiled. "That's a cute nickname. I'll need to remember that...but first, I should get in contact with the station."

-------

That TV station wasn't the only place that Azusa had sent a letter to. Not knowing where Phibrizzo lived, she'd had copies of that message sent to most of the major stations in Tokyo.

Across the whole of the city two detectives, a detective's girlfriend, several martial artists, an okonomiyaki chef, a mutant, and a dentist were all having a laugh at Phibrizzo's expense.

-------

_Chapter Eleven concluded. Chapter Twelve soon to commence_

Author's Notes

This chapter was mostly filler; I admit it. The next chapter probably won't do too much to advance the plot, either. Thought I'd warn you in advance.

The TV surfing segment was inspired by an old Dave Barry newspaper column that had him flipping between radio stations, only to have one program run right into another. Heh, heh.

Phibrizzo's Gum Gum Heat Wave is a firey rendition of Luffy's Gum Gum Gatling Gun, in case you haven't figured it out yet. He'll probably come up with more of those as time goes on. By the way: I'd found information on the G-G Gavel on the Wikipedia website; that's why I have it listed instead of the Hammer.

Methinks Azusa has too much time on her hands.

Heat up some popcorn. We're moving on.


	21. Chapter Twelve: Case File 1

WHAT INSERTION?

by Curtis Wildcat

_Chapter Twelve --- Case File: Inuyasha_

----------

**(Cue theme)**

----------

Time: Sunday, February 25, 1996, 11:15p.m.

Location: Unknown

Four silhouetted figures met and sat down inside a pitch-black van. As the vehicle started and drove down the road, they discussed the details of the plan.

One of the most influential families in Tokyo was holding a late-night party. The van's driver would assume the guise of a guest, while the others had arranged to be the home's "security" team. While the guests were distracted, two of the security officers would sneak into one of the home's back rooms and rob the family's entire display case. Upon pawning off all the jewelry to their brokers---who were in on the scheme as well---and giving the money to their prime investor, they would be admitted to the 'darkest' criminal organization existing in Japan.

The plan went off without a hitch. Every priceless gemstone and artifact in the room had been swiped without them being detected; several of the more intoxicated guests had willingly handed over their valuables, thinking that they would be guarded for the duration of the evening. The group's leader imagined their disbelief at the fact that they would never see them again, smiling grimly.

After everything that could be pilfered was taken, the group snuck out of the house and approached their van. One of them stepped in a small puddle on the way over, but he assumed it was left over from the evening's rain.

Another man looked up, hearing the distant sound of sirens. Motioning for the team to load the van and get away, he helped them do that before jumping into the driver's seat and attempting to start the car.

Of course, the key word was "attempting"; all they got was a slight sputtering. No one knew why the van wouldn't start. Upset, they hurriedly got out to check what the matter was.

It was when one of them switched on a flashlight that they knew why it wouldn't start: there was a long gash in the gas tank (and the tires had been slashed, as well). Realizing both that the police were coming and all the gasoline had spilled out of the van, they decided to grab the jewelry out of the back and duck into the safety of a nearby alley. Once they got there, they could call their investor and have him pick them up.

"Lovely night, isn't it?"

A white-haired boy in medieval garments leaped into their path and bulldozed through them. "At least for _me_ it is!" he crowed, unsheathing the sword he carried. "Now don't you dare stand up until the police arrive!"

In his daze, the group's leader was able to recognize the figure for who he was. After all, he'd been all over the news for more than a month now. "You," he growled. "You have no right to involve yourself in this."

The boy grinned, making his canines evident. "Maybe I do, and maybe I don't. Either way, you've made that proposition with that black-coated guy. That's doomed you from the start."

The man's eyes widened. "What do you know about anything?"

"Oh, please," the boy said, chuckling as the sirens grew louder. "That man could've done a lot more to disguise his movements. Someone who wears a black coat in the dead of night, carries a gun and keeps looking around him...that simply screams 'criminal'. He might as well have carried a sign that said: 'Arrest me!'. I tracked him for a few minutes until he met up with you, then listened to the whole discussion. When he left, I started following you until you got to that rich man's house." He folded his arms. "When you knocked out that guest and started playing his role, my suspicions were correct. From there it was just a matter of wrecking your car and tipping off the police."

The man growled and attempted to climb to his feet, but the menacing glare in the boy's eyes stopped him. "Congratulations," the boy said quietly as the cars stopped nearby. "You have just been caught red-handed. No one's going to get you out of _this_ mess."

---------------

Time: The following evening, 8:25p.m.

Location: Police department, unknown district

Investigator Landon finished viewing the report of last night's account before storing it in her nearby file cabinet. The drawer she had placed the report in had been getting fuller as they days had gone by, and she no idea whether to be pleased or annoyed with the cause of it all.

Back when she was asked to track the actions of one mysterious boy, she'd almost laughed. Looking back, it was proving to be a good thing she hadn't: this one boy was single-handedly attempting to drive down Tokyo's crime rate for reasons unknown. He apparently had the means to do it; eyewitness accounts had claimed that he had tremendous strength, able to carry a massive broadsword without any trouble. Several on-lookers had remarked on his fleetness of foot and tremendous agility, which were his default means of capturing criminals. Yet another person thought he'd seen claws on his hands.

There were plenty of rumors about him, of course. One was that he was part of a genetics experiment of some kind. Another rumor was the possibility that he was an alien, a scout sent to gather information by interrogating felons secretly; that had been Landon's favorite. A third was that he was an android merely doing what it had been programmed to do, but most everyone agreed that it wasn't feasible.

Whoever he was, Inuyasha had become a household name amongst criminals and common citizens alike: feared amongst the former, respected (and even adored; he actually had a cute expression when he faced a camera for the first time) by the latter. At the same time, the police department was keeping an eye on him: sooner or later Inuyasha would take his vigilantism too far, giving them the evidence they'd need to arrest him.

Secretly, Landon dreaded that day. Not only did she secretly applaud his actions, but she admitted that all the speculation surrounding him was keeping her unit in business. She just wished that she hadn't been asked to send a report to the district's police chief; she never did like sitting behind a desk. She'd always been somewhat of a night owl, so to speak; she constantly asked to have the evening and night shifts so that she could arrest criminals personally. Her shift would end at around 11:00 tonight, unfortunately; on the other hand, she'd be able to get a late start tomorrow.

Deciding where to begin, Landon took a massive folder out of the cabinet. After closing the cabinet and sitting back down, she started flipping through the various files. Most of them were minor cases; Inuyasha popping in somewhere in Tokyo, capturing and leaving a target for the police to find, and vanishing. Ever since his first appearance in January, he'd stopped or prevented a total of nine kidnappings, twelve robberies, eight murders, and almost twenty miscellaneous other crimes; those were just estimations, but they seemed to be on par with the news reports.

Landon noted that he was very elusive; he never appeared in the same district two nights in a row, and outside of his lone picture he was very camera shy. To date he'd only appeared in daylight twice: once at an elementary school in Beika, and another time when he accepted a small family's offer for lunch (assumably, this was the same family he'd protected in his first appearance).

There were plenty of things assumed about him, but only a few that were definitely known about him. He appeared to be about 7-8 years old, was relatively tall for his age, had shoulder-length white hair (many seemed to think that it was dyed), and sharp yellow eyes. He seemed to have a taste for medieval European fashion (at least it seemed European to her); his garments consisted of leather boots, a shirt, shorts, vest, and a shawl he kept wrapped around his hips. Just the thought of this made Landon chuckle to herself. "Sounds like a real fugitive from society," she said quietly.

There were several instances mentioned of Inuyasha having an adverse reaction to being called a 'monster' or 'freak'. Why he acted like that in spite of his abilities was a mystery, but Landon assumed that something had happened to him along the way...possibly ostracism or prejudice. On the other hand, he'd just shrugged when a delighted child had called him 'the coolest monster he'd ever seen'. Going over it in her mind, she supposed that a friendly heart had mixed with a bad past to create that aspect of his personality.

Of the things not known about him, most of them centered around his motivations. How did he manage to keep those hours? What was the secret behind his agility and strength? Most importantly, what would drive a grade-school kid to such extremes?

Brushing some of her pale blue hair out of her eyes, Landon pulled out another file and began scanning it. Her eyes widened in recognition: the Jeremy Sands case, dated February 14. This was the incident that convinced police officials that they should keep an eye on Inuyasha. As she reviewed the case, she tried to imagine the events as they happened...

---------

**(Cue flashback)**

Time: February 14, 1996; 10:45p.m.

Location: Apartment living room

"...as it stands, Mr. Sands, you're the only one here with knowledge of such an event," Richard Moore said accusingly, sitting calmly in his chair. As Inspector Maguire, a handful of officers, and several others---including a dwarfish, redhaired man in a turtleneck---looked on, Moore finished his explanation. "Everyone here failed my test but you; you didn't even break a sweat. Only you could've done such a thing to Taylor. Am I right?"

"Figuring out who was responsible for Taylor's disappearance is one thing, Detective Moore," Mr. Sands told him angrily. "Actually finding any evidence on me is another!" With that, he dived past the officers and charged through the door...

"Tsk, tsk tsk," someone said. "It's not polite to leave when the man's not done talking!"

Without warning, Mr. Sands came flying back into the room, narrowly missing Richard as he collided with the wall. Surprised, everyone turned to see what had happened...and in walked Inuyasha 'as happy as you please'. "Honestly...the nerve of some people."

Maguire was the first to react. "You're that kid we saw at the elementary school! What are you doing here?"

"What do you think? I'm helping you guys out," Inuyasha said, smiling smugly. "According to what Mr. Sandman over there said---"

"That's Mr. Sands!" the turtlenecked man protested, recovering and standing up.

"Whatever. They both sound the same," Inuyasha muttered. "Anyway, he says he didn't do it; says his hands tremble a lot. I was watching him as he carried in a drink and his keys; he wasn't nervous at all, and he never spilled a single drop. I was about to get going, but then I heard someone scream. Speaking of which..." Out of an unknown pocket, he tossed over an empty, stained cup (already concealed in a plastic bag) to Maguire. "The guy never finished his drink; it was too close to the scene of the crime, so he dumped it out before the police arrived. Found this in his trash. You _do_ live alone, don't you, Mr. Sandman? No one else to pin the blame on? Not even your neighbors in the other apartments?"

"Who are you supposed to be, anyway? What kind of monster are you?" Mr. Sands asked, spooked.

"Are you familiar with the expression 'pot calling the kettle black', Mr. Sandman?" Inuyasha asked, his eyes narrowing. "People who would stoop low enough to willingly attack another person...that's monstrous in itself."

"That's 'Mr. Sands'," the man told him, annoyed. "And what do you call what you just did to me?"

"_I'm_ not the suspect in this case," Inuyasha retorted. "_I'm_ not the one who'll be sitting on his posterior in jail by tomorrow. _You_ were trying to escape the questioning, _you_ were the one who did in that Taylor person, and _your_ head is so thick you thought no one was watching you. Well, _wrong answer!_"

Simmering down a little and ignoring everyone's wondering expressions, he shook his head before facing Maguire. "There's the evidence I found. Coupled with Detective Moore's story, either Sands will confess on his own or Moore will break the case open himself. I have to get out of here before I lose my temper."

Sulking a little, Inuyasha walked over to the window. After opening it he pushed himself off the ledge onto the next roof. Before long, he was gone from sight.

**(End of flashback)**

------

Landon put the paper away, thinking back to what others had told her afterward. The evidence had indeed led Mr. Sands to confess his crime, but the encounter had also raised questions about Inuyasha's mental stability. If provoked, he could possibly become violent; although his heart seemed to be in the right place, he still needed to be watched in case he became too enthusiastic.

With his unpredictability, that would be somewhat difficult. Something needed to be done to neutralize that. Perhaps having each department in Tokyo keep one or two officers on the lookout in case he showed up. Yes...that seemed to be a nice idea.

After getting permission from the chief, she placed a call to another investigator in a neighboring district. "Hello? Yes, this is Investigator Nagi Landon...this is regarding the special task force that was set up. Here's what I need from you. Talk to the district chief and pass on this message: 'Inuyasha seems to do most of his work between 10:30p.m. and dawn. Whatever officers are on the beat between those times will need to watch out for him and keep track of what he does. If he seems to have an incident well in hand, don't disturb him; instead, just watch him and aid him if he sincerely asks for it. If he attacks an officer or innocent bystander, you have full leave to apprehend him if possible'. Did you get all that?...Good. Make sure that's passed on to every department throughout Tokyo proper, in particular those that have members of the task force. Let's make this look good...alright, then. Talk to you later."

After hanging up, Landon wrung her hands and switched her desk computer. "Now that that's out of the way, I have a report to do."

------

As scheduled, Landon finished her shift at about 11:00. She hurriedly grabbed any loose papers, put them back in their proper spots within the office, made sure that the report was filed away and ready to be sent, grabbed her bag, and calmly departed the office for home.

Aside from punching out, she didn't tell anyone she was leaving; a lot of people thought of her as a lone wolf, always focused on her job and not much else. She wasn't cold, but she wasn't the friendly type either; it wasn't what she intended, but that's what she came off as to others. About the only friends she had were two pet rabbits, and it wasn't like they could engage her in conversation or anything. It was beginning to get rather annoying.

As Landon drove on home, she began wondering various things. Inuyasha should be out and about by this point. What part of Tokyo had he chosen to roam tonight? It had been at least a month since teen detective Jimmy Kudo disappeared. When was he going to return? In his absence, another detective was starting to make news. Would he become just as good, or fall flat?

A brief flash of light and a sudden _bang_ diverted her thoughts. A second _bang_ followed, and Landon was forced to focus on the road. It became evident that with two flat tires, she wasn't going to win this round; about all she could do was slow down as much as possible. After a few seconds, she was able to stop the car in front of a closed market.

As she stepped out, she did so suspiciously; with that flash of light that preceded the flat tires, she was positive that someone was purposely shooting at her car. Now it was just a matter of whether she was being targetted specifically, or if whoever had done it didn't care what kind of car got bullet-riddled.

"Investigator Landon...so nice to meet up with you again."

_Well, that answers that._ Landon put one hand in her pocket, getting ready to defend herself as three figures stepped out of the shadows. The people on the sides were nondescript, ordinary. The middle person in the group had dark hair and a scar on one hand. All three of the men wore black trench coats and fedoras, carried pistols, and had threatening airs about them. "You must've decided that jail didn't suit you, Philips," Landon said dryly, "when it's actually a perfect fit."

"You're real funny," 'Philips' snarled. "Because of you, me and my aides were captured and thrown in the brig last year. Two nights ago, my associates had me released on the condition that I deal with you personally; and last night, we traced the route you took between the police station and your home. We weren't about to intrude on your property; we know about that top-notch security system of yours. So, what better time than now?"

"'Never' would be a much more suitable option," Landon told him, her pocketed hand closing around the disguised radio that she always carried with her. With the push of a button, the edges of the antenna would sprout miniature blades; each of these were sharp enough to cut through iron. Since she had no particular fondness for guns, she preferred to use this as a means of defense. "One of us is going to regret doing this, and it's not going to be me."

"Keep your hands out of your pockets," Philips warned. "If your radio hand even twitches..." A deliberately misdirected shot made clear what was going to happen.

Scowling, Landon took her hand out of her pocket. "If you're going to deal with me, do it now. None of us have time for this sort of nonsense."

Philips smirked. "I'll say. Rumor has it that you're the head of a task force specializing in someone...someone that the organization wants out of the picture before anything happens to the ranks. We've already figured out that the authorities are willing to back him up, so long as he doesn't try anything stupid. Of course, _we_ don't want that; so if the blame's pinned on him for your disappearance, he's as good as gone."

Landon's eyes narrowed. "And you're telling me this _why?_"

"Because, Investigator," Philips said darkly, "I want you to realize despair. I want you to know fear: fear that you'll soon be gone, and fear that you'll never be around to protect innocent people again. I want you to realize that no matter what you do---"

"Ramen and spaghetti will always be two different things?"

"Wha-huh?" Philips blinked, puzzled; his subordinates followed suit. Landon looked around, just as confused as her attacker was. Someone had spoken, and it sure wasn't her!

"Over here, clowns," someone growled. "Are you just going to stand there and look stupid all night? I have places to go!"

Realizing where the voice was coming from, Landon stepped back just a little and allowed herself to see the roof. Her eyes widened as she realized who had spoken. _Well, I did ask myself where he'd be roaming tonight...I shouldn't have asked!_

**(BGM --- Simon Belmont's Theme)**

The figure who could only be Inuyasha was kneeling on the market's roof, the distant moon glittering in his yellow eyes. "Thanks for detailing your plan," he said smugly. "Nice to know I'm considered a danger to criminals. It's about time, too. Now, plan to tell me how you're going to get away? I'm listening."

One of Philips' aides got off a shot, but Inuyasha was already out of the way. Unsheathing the tremendous blade he carried (and shocking everyone who saw it), he leaped straight to the ground and quickly slashed diagonally. The men stepped back, but Inuyasha wasn't after them; the gun that the aide had been carrying was sliced into two pieces.

The others got their act together and started firing at him, but the vigilante was too quick. He dodged or deflected the shots until the men were out of ammunition, then made his move. Using the sword's flat side, he swung it like a baseball bat and brushed the men aside with casual ease. As Landon watched this, she noted that he hadn't put a lot of force into the blow; it was meant to incapacitate them, not injure them. _No wonder his file hadn't mentioned any hospitalizations._

Inuyasha straightened, somehow managing to sheath the giant broadsword. Hearing a grunt, he turned to see Philips trying to struggle back up. "Make it easier for yourself," the kid growled, planting a foot on top of him and forcing him back down. "Stay down." He turned just a little. "Hey, lady! You're a cop. Would you mind calling for backup?"

As Landon took out her radio and did as suggested, Philips reached out and grabbed Inuyasha's ankle. "You miserable monster. You're not going to last very long...not when the organization wants you gone..." he warned, his expression angry.

Inuyasha frowned. "I was just about to say the same thing about the organization. You have a problem with that?"

Philips' eyes widened a fraction. "You can't be serious. You can't take them on by yourself!"

No question that Inuyasha was _very_ serious. "I have every intention of taking them down, idiot. No amount of persuasion's going to change my mind, either. I repeat: you have a problem with that?"

"You are just one kid!" Philips shouted. "What are _you_ going to do? These are the big leagues, freak; they're not two-bit criminals like the rest of the trash you've been taking out!"

Inuyasha smiled. "That they aren't...but they're losers all the same. They think they're smart, putting that detective Kudo out of commission..."

Landon gasped. _The teenage detective Jimmy Kudo? Why, those miserable---!_

"...but they're not. By taking down Kudo that miserable night, they unleashed a monster."

Philips glared at Inuyasha with enough force to melt rock. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Inuyasha raised a finger and waggled it condescendingly. "Now, _that_ is a secret." His eyes locked with Philips' own gaze. "Do...you have...a problem...with that?" he asked in English, deliberately speaking slowly to get his message across.

Still glaring up at Inuyasha defiantly, Philips let go of Inuyasha's foot. A dangerous smirk came to life...

Immediately, Landon searched for the reason behind that sneer...and spotted both of them: the two aides that had previously been knocked aside had recovered and were charging for the vigilante, daggers in hand. _There's no way he'll be able to wield that sword in time! _"_Inuyasha, watch out!_" she snapped---

---but before she had even finished her warning, he'd already taken action. Inuyasha leaped clear of the men's attacks without hesitation, then ducked down and swept them off their feet with a single kick. "Do you guys even know _how_ to take a hint?" he growled as he stood back up. "When criminals go down, they _stay_ down!" He folded his arms, watching as Philips' expression became incredulous.

Landon just blinked. _Well, that's something else to add to his file..._ She looked on as Inuyasha grumbled to himself, making sure that none of the three were getting up until the police came. "Excuse me," she said a twinge hesitantly, "I'd like to speak with you in a few minutes."

"As long as it doesn't take too much time," the snow-haired boy muttered, examining his feet for a moment. "I still have a long night ahead of me."

--------

Once the police arrived, things fell back in order quickly. Landon arranged to have new tires placed on her car the following day and to have a cab take her home. The three crooks from the 'organization' were stowed and taken away. After promising to send a report the next day (and having a few minutes before the cab arrived), she ducked into a small alley and waited.

She didn't have long to wait; Inuyasha dropped to the ground from the market's roof. "Alright, everyone's gone. What did you need to talk to me about, lady?"

Landon hesitated briefly before replying. "You told those men that Detective Kudo was gone...Is that really true?"

"Yeah and no," Inuyasha growled, sniffing the air before continuing quietly. "I'm not going to say where I heard this, but it had been Gin and Vodka's every intention to get rid of Kudo that night. The pill they'd used apparently didn't do as they wanted it to. However, there's not much Kudo can do about it at the moment. Not in his present condition."

"Present condition...?"

"He's not sick or anything, if that's what you mean. Sorry, but I can't elaborate much more than that. If those idiots caught wind of the fact that Kudo's still alive, they'd seek him out and try to finish the job. That wouldn't be good for his friends, either. In fact, I suggest you not tell anyone what I told you just now."

Landon's eyes narrowed a fraction. "So, what are you going to do about it?"

"Exactly what I told those guys. Dismantle their organization before they have a chance. It's the main reason why I'm always out at night."

Part of Landon didn't believe what Inuyasha was telling her. Philips had a point; it was one kid against...who knows how many people. "You do realize the odds are against you, don't you? Speed and strength aside, that's not enough to defeat them."

Inuyasha smirked. "I have more going for me than that. A _lot_ more."

Landon sighed, wondering for a moment what else he was able to do. "Alright, fine. If you want to do that, it's not my problem. But there's one more thing that's been bothering me."

"What's that?"

"This may sound like a stupid question, but do you go to school at all?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "Nah. I've got all the education I need right up here," he said, tapping his forehead. "I know some math and writing, and I have a guy teaching me history and stuff. I try to sleep during most of the day, if I can."

Landon made a note to put that in his file later. _I suspected as much. _"Thanks. You know, you actually helped out the task force quite a bit with your explanation."

"Yeah? How?"

The investigator smirked. "Like you told Philips earlier: it's a secret. Like it or not, your file's confidential."

"All the stuff I ever wanted to know about myself, and it's locked up," Inuyasha quipped, rolling his eyes. "Fine. Whatever. Look, are you finished yet? I have to get going."

"I have all the information I need. I'll let you off the hook."

"Just like that?" Inuyasha asked. "There's a catch, isn't there? No way it's that easy."

Landon just waved him off, dismissing his disbelief and heading back out onto the street without saying anything further. Hearing a rustling noise, she turned her head just in time to notice Inuyasha leaping back onto the roof and dashing away.

As the glare of headlights from the approaching cab got her attention, Landon continued to wonder what exactly Inuyasha had in store for the Organization...and what plans the Organization had to deal with Inuyasha. If the vigilante was really all that he said he was, he should come through alright in the end.

If not...

Landon angrily forced that line of reasoning from her head as she stepped into the cab. _He's no amateur. The way he thinks and acts, his apparent skills...he's no child. There's no way he can be! I'm positive he's already thought ahead on how to do this!_

_Hmm...as long as I'm thinking of it, where'd that music come from?_

---------

Elsewhere...

"And so, we end another chapter in the continuing saga of Inuyasha. What does life have in store for him? Will the alcohol-named bad guys do him in? Will he take them all down on his own? Will he eat anything besides ramen? What's the point of asking these stupid questions? Come back next time for the next part of the breath-taking saga of---"

"Phibrizzo, you're ranting again."

Although Curtis and the green pillar were in opposite chambers, that didn't stop Phibrizzo from taunting him. "Yeah? And what are _you_ going to do about it, Burger Breath?"

"You want me to answer that?"

_No, who knows, already have, and no point,_ Inuyasha growled mentally, dismayed. _Could you keep it down in there? I'm trying to think about what that cop was saying._

Phibrizzo smiled nastily, then started singing. "_One fish cannot fly, one bird cannot swim...when the attempt is made together, it proves them twice as dim..._"

"You're off-key," Curtis remarked, cutting him off. "It should be sung like this..._Beginning with one song, and moving on again...going on and on proves whether you are mice or men..."_

"That high note was way off!" Phibrizzo shot back. "_Do you dare to sing again just like you've sung before? Give me something good, or else I'll toss you out the door!_"

Inuyasha's growling became deeper. _I said stop it, stupid!_

"_I'm driving down Highway 40 in my big ol' pickup truck..."_

"Hey, you're cheating, Curtis!" Phibrizzo protested. "That's not even a song!"

"Is too. I have it!"

"'Bark', or whatever his name is, sings worse than you! If I could take just any old line and call it a song, I'd do it!"

"You just did a few seconds ago. Besides, that song's hilarious."

_Would you two just shut up?_

Ten seconds of quiet. Then, Curtis spoke up with a calm and quiet: "_Ce-ment mixer...puti puti..._"

_Arrrrgghhhh!_

Provoked by the absurd lyric and Inuyasha's vast annoyance, Phibrizzo collapsed---or floated, rather---into a giggling fit. After a little while, he was able to calm himself down as the novelty of the discussion wore off.

There was complete silence for several minutes as Inuyasha continued his patrol. Finally, not having anything else to do, Phibrizzo started humming the song that Curtis had played earlier. Despite his fondness for classical music, he admitted to himself that the song _was_ kind of neat. He did wonder why it sounded so fake, though...like no real instruments were used to produce it!

----

In the next chamber, Curtis examined a game cartridge for a moment before putting it away. He had no real plans to play it; it made for some neat background music, though.

Shortly thereafter, he reminded himself that Phibrizzo's new teacher, Wanda Fitzgerald, would be starting at Teitan Elementary on Wednesday (knowledge gained courtesy of Miss Valen). It was always nice to meet a new teacher; it reminded him of the temporary excitement he'd get as a kid, starting a new grade and things like that. Although he would only be on the inside looking out, he was looking forward to it.

If he'd known exactly who would begin teaching on Wednesday, he wouldn't be so eager...

----

_Chapter Twelve concluded. Chapter Thirteen soon to commence_

AUTHOR'S NOTES

If it wasn't entirely evident, there was another crossover here: Nagi Landon is this story's version of Nagi, _Tenchi Universe_'s resident bounty hunter, and will be heading the Inuyasha task force. Some parts of the series I frown on (and avoid entirely, mostly for moral reasons), but there admittedly are a few characters I like. I just hope I got the personality down right.

As evidenced, this chapter focused primarily on Inuyasha. There will be four 'Case Files' throughout the series: one for each of our main triumvirate, and one (much later) for Deep Sea Dolphin. That much is certain. By the way, any similarity to the Case Files that _Case Closed_ is associated with is entirely coincidental (at least, I _think_ the two are connected; I can't remember for sure).

A few of the songs that Phibrizzo and Curtis were singing in that segment were made up on the spot. 'Highway 40 Revisited' and 'Cement Mixer', though, weren't..._man_, they weren't. Heh, heh...anyway, as long as we're on the subject of music: for the duration of this story, Simon Belmont's theme is Inuyasha's, as well. Just thought I'd mention that.

One minor note: on the whole, I don't like the _Castlevania_ series of games too much (with the exception of _Simon's Quest_, which grew on me back in the NES era). Can't argue with some of their music, though.

Anyways, I digress. Let's get back on track.


	22. Chapter Thireen, Part A

WHAT INSERTION?

by Curtis Wildcat

_Chapter Thirteen ---- Hey, Teacher, Leave Them Kids Alone_

----------

**(Cue theme)**

----------

Time: Wednesday, February 28, 1996, mid-to-late morning

Location: Teitan Elementary

Phibrizzo drummed his fingers on his desk impatiently. "It's been several minutes since class was supposed to start," he grumbled. "When's that new teacher supposed to get here?"

"Who knows?" Conan asked from across the classroom, looking just as bored as he was.

"You heard what the principal said," Mitch reminded them. "Miss Fitzgerald _is_ supposed to be somewhat eccentric."

"Eccentric or not," George complained, "she can't just show up whenever she feels like it!" He calmed down as something came to him. "Hey, what if she doesn't show up at all?"

"Then I can catch a few minutes of sleep," Phibrizzo muttered, propping his head on his hand.

"Sleeping in class? Phibrizzo, you can't do that!" Amy protested. "You'll get thrown out of class for sure!"

"Well, I'm sure not learning anything at the moment." Phibrizzo's eyes flicked from side to side before gazing up at the ceiling. "Except that there are about 200 of those little holes in that ceiling tile. Eeesh...listening to mother yelling at the television is better than this."

"Why does she do that" Conan asked.

"Mother's a _Masked Yaiba_ fan," Phibrizzo explained, shaking his head. "Whenever a character does something potentially stupid, she shouts at---"

Abruptly cutting himself off, he started glaring at the ceiling. "Hey...did you guys hear that?"

Most of the class followed suit, looking at the same place he was. "What is it?" one of the other kids asked.

"Sssshh," Phibrizzo hissed. "Whatever it is, it's crawling around inside the ceiling."

Everyone fell silent, their anxiety at their new teacher's arrival put aside for the moment. Just about everyone was wondering what was going on. Some kids, such as Mitch, thought that a rodent or bird had somehow gotten inside. With his mystery-driven mind in gear, Conan guessed that a human had gotten trapped in the ceiling; as to how that would happen, he wasn't sure yet.

Phibrizzo was beginning to look increasingly apprehensive as the clock ticked by. Finally tiring of waiting, he snapped: "Hey! Are you coming down or what? We don't have the rest of our lives to spend here!"

Someone could be heard muttering from inside the ceiling. "Honestly...little kids have no appreciation for drama..."

One of the ceiling tiles at the front of the room was shoved aside. A pair of shoes were seen dangling over the edge, then someone slid out onto the floor. Recovering in an instant, the person bowed and waved. "Thank you, thank you," she said in slightly-accented Japanese. "You're too much. Really!"

As some kids began to applaud politely (while others just stared), Phibrizzo and Conan took in the person's appearance. She appeared to be about the same age as Aisha's friend Jim, give or take, and was roughly the same height. Her manner of dress seemed to be business-casual, as evidenced by the sweater and khakis. Her hair...

"Oh, for crying out loud," Conan and Phibrizzo groaned in unison.

...seemed to resemble a reddish-pink spiked wave that trailed to a point just a few inches above the floor; her bangs brought to mind an image of a hermit crab. "Hello, good morning, and hello again! I'm Wanda Fitzgerald!" she announced, scribbling her name on the board. "I'll be teaching you about the social sciences, but if I talk about other forms of science, don't mind me!" She reached into her bag and pulled out a sheet. "Alright...everyone in class seems to be here, but a quick round of introductions wouldn't hurt...Eliza Amery?"

A pause, and then a girl in the second row raised her hand.

"Stan Cole?"

The boy right behind Eliza raised his hand. "Here."

"Good...um...Conan Edogawa?"

"You can just call me Conan," the aforementioned boy told her.

Wanda nodded slowly. "I'll...keep that in mind. Moving on..."

The new teacher continued on down the list until she got to the most unusual name she'd ever heard of. "Okay...Phibrizzo Kaden? Who in the world's Phibrizzo Kaden?"

"Don't say a word about the name," Phibrizzo growled. "I've been putting up with that ever since I got here, and I'm getting sick of it."

Wanda stared at him for a second, then checked the name off her list. "Just making sure...I thought I'd recognized you somewhere before."

"You probably have," Phibrizzo said, "as long as you don't---"

"Ah! I remember," Wanda interrupted him, her expression gleeful. "You're that kid who rescued that figure skater a while back!"

Several veins started throbbing. "Why can't people just let a matter _rest_? So I decided to rescue someone to salve my conscience. People don't need to make a huge deal out of it!"

"Phibrizzo..."

Conan was cut off before he could continue. "I'm no charming prince! I'm a street kid who was fortunate enough just to wind up in a decent home! Who do I look like to you?"

Wanda blinked as she listened to Phibrizzo rant. "Um, excuse me..."

"I'm sure not a superhero, I'll say that! I don't even like that psycho klepto; I thought I made that clear! Then yesterday, Mrs. Valen comes up to me and asks if I have a crush on her! My answer: _not a snowball's chance in a desert!_ That crazy girl creeps me out: taking whatever cute things she finds for herself, calling me 'Julien', and chasing me around the neighborhood whenever she sees me! It's enough to drive a person mad!"

Conan got up from his seat and walked over to him. "Phibrizzo..."

"And if you think _that's_ insane, my mother tried to drag me to the next competition that Shiratori was in! Honestly, if I ever meet that weirdo again in the next year, it'll be much too...too...soon..."

Running low on words _and_ on steam, Phibrizzo finally stopped ranting. His eyes slid shut, his head hit the desk with a _thump_, and he could be heard snoring faintly.

Everyone in the room, Wanda included, stared in wonder. After several seconds, Amy spoke up. "Wow...I guess he really _was_ tired."

"_And_ cranky," Wanda added, an eyebrow arched. "Is he like this every day?"

"Just for the past few weeks," Conan explained as he went back to his seat. "The 'Icearc Incident' is a bit of a sore subject for him. He doesn't really like girls, especially not Azusa Shiratori."

Wanda sweatdropped. "Yeah, I'll say. Anyway, let's just move on with attendance...don't really want to bother him. If he's not awake by the middle of class, could you tell him what he missed?"

Conan shrugged. "Okay."

"Thanks. I'll have to remember to talk to him about it later. Moving on..."

--------

What none of them knew is that Phibrizzo didn't fall asleep due to lack of will. Tiring of his raving and deciding he needed a break, Inuyasha had pushed the "Snooze" button in his chamber. The half-mazoku wouldn't stir for at least another eight minutes.

Inuyasha was now watching Curtis, who'd been staring at the front of his chamber for the past minute in stunned disbelief. "Hey, Curtis. Are you in there?" he asked, rapping on his forehead.

Curtis blinked a few times, then folded his arms and sighed angrily. "This is getting weird, even for me. I don't want to talk about it."

Inuyasha sat down. "Well, whatever. Is she really that real smart woman who looks like a young girl? You were telling us about her a few days ago."

"Yeah, unless I'm reading this wrong. If I am, then she---hold that thought," Curtis interrupted himself, thinking for a few moments. "...Yeah, I read it wrong. Her last name's the key. I did some research on her once, and I found out that her last name's Fitzgerald in a different series. She shouldn't have the same abilities that I told you guys about."

"So she really _is_ that smart kid from America," Inuyasha said to himself. "Think this'll cause any problems?"

"Let's hope not," Curtis grumbled. "Regardless, I have a really bad feeling about this."

---------

Time: After school

Wanda gazed around the corner of the hall, making sure no one was watching her. She'd taught a few classes throughout the day---basically, most of the subjects that one Maria Cliffowski had once taught---but none had caught her attention like the social sciences class from mid-morning.

Two of the kids, despite their attitudes, had exhibited intelligence far beyond the average elementary school student. Once Phibrizzo had snapped awake several minutes after roll call, he remained extremely alert throughout class and put his earlier outburst behind him. His spectacled friend had calmly answered any questions that were sent his way, even adding a fact or two that couldn't have been in any schoolbook.

That still left questions unanswered. Phibrizzo's behavior seemed unnatural to her; his mood swings just weren't normal. No matter how much a child tried, he couldn't just switch from angry loudmouth to studious student in a heartbeat. Somehow, though, _he_ managed to do fairly well. What was his secret? How did he get like that?

And how did he know that she was watching him?

Keeping an "Eeeep!" surpressed, Wanda ducked back around the corner. She'd been hoping to trail Conan and Phibrizzo from afar, but the latter kid seemed to know that he was being followed. _Don't know how he can hear me...that kid's good!_

A quiet chuckling from behind got her attention. Turning around, Wanda was greeted with the smiling face of Principal Valen. "Um...hi?" she asked a tad nervously.

"Just the person I wanted to see," Mrs. Valen greeted her. "You're curious about that kid, too?"

"Yes. And what do you mean, 'too'?"

"There's something about that kid I like," the principal explained. "I knew he was tough from the day his father registered him here at the school; a kid left out on the streets can develop a mean streak in the wrong environment."

Wanda glared up at her, hiding her curiousity. "What's your point?"

"Phibrizzo's an odd mix of personalities," Mrs. Valen said, all grins. "The kid's easily offended; any reference to the 'Icearc Incident', his bracelet, or a number of other things sets him off."

"His bracelet? I was going to ask him about that." Wanda shrugged. "Whatever. Go on."

"On the other hand, he has his redeeming qualities. A substitute teacher was kidnapped here early in the month, and he went into the school to investigate. That shows that he cares about people to some degree, no matter how he acts on the surface."

"Could've fooled me," said Wanda, shaking her head. "That kid's a regular spitfire. What about that glasses-wearing friend of his?"

Mrs. Valen had to think for a moment. "Oh, right---Conan what's-his-name. I thought I heard that he lives with a detective, and that he's real smart for his age. There's some sort of after-school thing he gets involved with...overheard his friends talking about it once when I was going home. It's no school-endorsed club, I'll tell you that." She tapped her chin for a few seconds. "I wonder..."

"You're wondering what?"

"Well, I know a local police officer. He told me something about a couple kids outwitting a few gangsters a month ago, give or take. I didn't believe it at the time, but..."

Wanda smirked a little, slipping back into English as her scientific mind began churning. "I see. You don't mind if I bring my computer tomorrow, do you?"

"You don't need my permission," the principal replied in Japanese, smiling. She turned and walked away, waving over her shoulder. "See you tomorrow, Miss Fitzgerald."

_Oh, you will,_ Wanda thought as she started to leave another way. _A little critical-thinking exercise, and I should have what I need._

-----------

Time: 4:15 p.m.

Location: Electronics store

Phibrizzo fingered through the total yen that he had on him, then decided that the last allowance he'd gotten was enough. "Alright, guess I'll see what the fuss is," he muttered to himself as he grabbed the labeled box in front of him and went to pay for it.

---

Fifteen minutes later, Phibrizzo found himself sitting on the grass at Beika Park, mesmerized by the Mantendo Game Man he'd just purchased. "Shame we didn't have any of these back home," he said quietly, trying to get the blocks matched up. "This would've cured a lot of boredom."

A mild snort emitted from Inuyasha's chamber. "Countless centuries old, and he's fascinated by a machine. Amazing."

Curtis agreed. "Yeah...come on. I like it too, but it's just _Tetris_."

"Yeah, and it's hard!" Phibrizzo growled.

"Is not. You're just not used to it, that's all."

_Would you just shut up and let me concentrate on---_

A quiet ringing, too soft to be heard by anyone but Phibrizzo, broke his concentration; the falling blocks got too close to the top, and it was instant _Game Over_. Shaking his head, he grabbed his cell phone out of subspace and pushed a button. "Hello?"

"Ah, hello! Is this Phibrizzo?"

"It sure isn't Yoko Okino," Phibrizzo remarked without an ounce of humor, resting against the grass. "Who is this, and how'd you get my number?"

"You mean you've forgotten already? I should be sad, but I'm not," the voice said half-jokingly. "This is your new teacher, silly!"

"Bad news," Phibrizzo grumbled.

"What was that?"

A quiet sigh. "I'll be honest: you disturb me. Now, how'd you get my number?"

"Why so suspicious?" Wanda asked happily. "I asked the principal, she checked your record, and she called your mother!"

"...I think I'll just leave my phone off from now on. Why the call? You sure it couldn't have waited until tomorrow?"

"I'm not talking about this in front of everyone else," Wanda told him. "The other kids would get jealous if they found out what I'm going to be asking."

Phibrizzo's stoic behavior faded, and he started listening more intently. "What you're asking? What do you mean?"

"I'm not sure if you heard, but there's a temporary exhibit being set up at the Beika Museum in a few weeks," Wanda said.

"That painter from Europe? Yes, I heard about that," Phibrizzo said. "What about it?"

"I purchased tickets good for the exhibit's first day," his teacher explained. "My legal guardian can't go, so I have a few extras. Care to go that afternoon after school? You can give the third ticket to someone you know, if you like."

Phibrizzo thought to himself for a few seconds before smiling. "Guess it couldn't hurt. I've got nothing better to do."

"Great!" Wanda exclaimed cheerily. "Meet me at Beika Park tomorrow afternoon, and the tickets are as good as yours!"

"I'm at Beika Park _now_. You might as well come by and take care of it while you can."

After a brief pause, his teacher answered him. "Okay, I've got a few minutes. I'll be right there. Do you have any questions?"

"Yeah," Phibrizzo said. "Are you any good at _Tetris_? I'm kind of stuck..."

Another pause. "I meant any questions about the tickets, Phibrizzo."

"Then you should've _said_ 'any questions about the tickets', Miss Fitzgerald," Phibrizzo retorted in English. "Otherwise, it's 'ask question, get answer'."

Wanda chuckled a bit before replying in kind. "Sounds like you're every bit as fiesty as I thought. Any questions about the tickets, then?"

"Not really. What time on that Tuesday is good---3:15?"

"Better make it 3:45. I talked to your mother already, and she said it's alright if you miss out on her dinner---my guardian's going to treat us all to dinner that day. Just make sure that you and whomever you bring is there at quarter to four. Okay?"

Phibrizzo nodded. "Alright. See you later, Miss Fitzgerald."

"See you later, Phibrizzo. By the way..."

"Yes?"

"Just call me Wanda. Or better yet, 'Little' Wanda. I don't want to be treated as someone important---being restricted from playing with other kids is bad enough!" The words were obviously spiteful, but they somehow sounded the exact opposite.

"You're only about the second person I know who doesn't crave importance," Phibrizzo said, smiling while a sweatdrop rolled down the back of his neck. "I sort of envy you for that."

"That's another thing I've had enough of---jealousy. If you're good, I won't hold it against you. Bye-bye. See you shortly!"

"See you."

Phibrizzo clicked off the cell phone and put it away. "Weird teacher."

"'Weird' doesn't even begin to describe her---more like 'outlandish'," Curtis said, quickly flipping through what seemed to be a thesaurus. "Or maybe 'psycho'...eh, forget it." He flung the book aside. "What I know is that there's going to be trouble. Do you have any idea how much of it she's going to be?"

Inuyasha didn't believe it. "So she's a little perky. What's the big deal? How much trouble could she possibly become?"

Curtis issued a defeated sigh. "Trust me, Inuyasha. If things turn out well, I'll owe you."

---------

Time: Saturday, March 9, 1996, early afternoon

Location: Cerulean City Pokémon Center

A week and a half later found Phibrizzo draped across a chair in the Pokémon Center's lobby. After a three-hour training session with his Flareon, he'd taken him back to the Center to get checked on...and then decided to take a rest himself.

A few minutes or so later Dolphin had walked on in, her Vaporeon not far behind. As the local Nurse Joy accepted the water-type, Phibrizzo's sister had strolled over and taken a seat next to him. After waiting a minute and not getting a response, she tapped his forehead a few times.

Phibrizzo's eyes slowly opened. "Oh. Hi, sis. What's new?" he asked groggily.

Dolphin shook her head, then took out her ever-present notepad and jotted down a message. 'You seem tired.'

"Because I am," Phibrizzo muttered weakly, still spent from the training session. "And not just physically. I'm kind of dealing with problems back home."

Dolphin arched an eyebrow before writing down a question. 'What kind of problems? Has that ice skater girl been bothering you?'

"Haven't seen her since we rescued her from the Hatter," Phibrizzo told her. "You have no idea how thankful I am for that, although she did send copies of a letter asking me to attend her next competition..." He paused for a few seconds to yawn. "...to every television station in Tokyo. No, she's not the problem, believe it or not."

'Then what is it?'

"There's this weird teacher who started going to my school." The half-mazoku didn't feel much like talking, but at least Dolphin would believe the strange events in his life more than most people would. "She teaches social sciences and one or two other topics, but she's about the weirdest person I've ever seen." Before Dolphin could say anything, he added: "You're my sister, so you don't count."

Dolphin rolled her eyes, then asked: 'How weird could a teacher be?'

"For starters, she's not even a teenager yet."

Even if she _could_ talk, she'd pretty much been startled speechless. Phibrizzo went on, answering her unasked question. "She's done some pretty strange stuff since she came. Her first day in, she came in through the ceiling. The next day, she climbed in through the window. The third day: through the air vent...don't ask how she got there. This past Monday, she opened the door a little and tried to squeeze through without it budging. If she could, she'd probably try to go _under_ the door. It wouldn't surprise me if she tried...

"...And yesterday, she defied the dress code by wearing an oversized baseball T-shirt along with her normal work attire...can't remember which team it was. Class had to be delayed for several minutes because everyone kept asking questions. Everything settled down when she said it was a one-time thing, but she's worrying me."

Dolphin smiled before formulating a reply. 'It's not like you to be so...concerned,' she said, including the dots in the pause.

"What worries me is that she's smart. Very smart. She's never short on words or ideas, she's probably a technical and chemical mastermind by now, she's always trying to turn logic upside-down..." Phibrizzo sighed, then closed his eyes. "In short, she's a genius, and she knows it. I've got to ask you something: how do _you_ deal with something you don't understand? What do you do if you're dealing with something that could outwit you before you had a chance to blink? What do you do...if you find yourself completely outclassed?"

Dolphin had to think for a few minutes on that one. For the briefest of instants centuries ago, she'd felt the same way when her conscious mind became scrambled. Upon her arrival in this strange world, she was overwhelmed by everything that she saw. It was thanks in part to Misty and her Vaporeon, Jetsam, that she was slowly becoming accustomed to the local culture. Without someone to guide her, she'd probably still be lost.

Her brother's training session with that Flareon of his must have taken a toll on his mind and body for him to be thinking like he was. She knew enough about the sessions that Phibrizzo was really 'pushing the envelope', as people here would say, but she didn't know what they entailed. _A shame that his lifetime hasn't dulled his child-like personality; half the time he isn't even thinking straight. He only gets introspective when---_

_Hold it, hold it...child-like personality?_

Smiling a little, Dolphin took a little squirt gun out of her purse. _You snooze, you lose._

A few seconds later Phibrizzo was wide awake, staring at her angrily and shaking water off his face. "Blast it! What was that for?"

Letting her playful side take over, Dolphin stuck out her tongue and pulled down an eyelid. _That should be all that needs to be said!_

"Miserable _fish!_" Phibrizzo growled before pushing himself off his seat. "Give me that squirt gun!"

Dolphin jumped out of the way, nearly tumbling over a busy Chansey as she did so, then retreated when her brother continued to charge after her. 'You're too slow!' she managed to write before dropping the notepad and dashing off.

It continued in this vein for a while. Phibrizzo chased Dolphin all over the accessible parts of the Pokémon Center before finally catching up to her, snagging one of her ponytails in an attempt to slow her down. Fuming from having her hair pulled, Dolphin started pursuing Phibrizzo in a similar fashion.

Before long a small crowd had gathered in the lobby, watching to see how long it was taking the chase to end and amazed at some of the things they were doing. Some of the Pokémon expressed their surprise as well; although it couldn't be understood, a Chansey was heard telling its' co-worker that she wished she'd had a camera for this occasion.

It was starting to get a little out of hand, though. After about twenty minutes, the chase had degenerated to a schoolyard-style fight: name-calling, taunts, hair-pulling, face-lifting, the works (the first two Dolphin had no part of, of course). Somewhere along the way Dolphin found a sensitive spot below Phibrizzo's shoulder, confirming her belief that the skin and nerves he'd developed were genuine; that only made things worse. However, things didn't slow down, not even when Officer Jenny was called into the Center to calm everyone.

After another five minutes, things finally settled. Dolphin scooted off of where she'd been keeping Phibrizzo pinned down, stretching a little. _That was fun._

Phibrizzo rolled onto his back, hyperventilating out of reflex and trying unsuccessfully to keep his eyes from watering. "I hate...being ticklish," he managed to groan. "I'm gonna...get you...for this."

"Well?" Officer Jenny asked sternly. "Are you two done roughhousing yet? This isn't a playground."

"Tell that...to her," Phibrizzo told her. "She started it!"

Dolphin looked around for her discarded notepad, found it, then wrote something down. 'Really...you need some fun in your life. What are you going to do, frown and whine about everything that happens?'

"Lauren..." At that point, Dolphin remembered that she was supposed to go by her stage name, Lauren Aqua, while in public. "You don't know that teacher. How can...you say that?"

'She's not yet a teenager, right? That means she's still a kid. Treat her like one. Do you understand me, little brother?'

Jenny looked on questioningly before turning to the nearby Nurse Joy. "Am I missing something here?"

"They're siblings," Joy told her, smiling nervously. "Apparently, they still fight like it."

"Could've fooled me," Jenny said, frowning. "They look like they're about fifteen years apart. What was going on here?"

A teenage trainer with blonde hair spoke up. "I think I know what happened. I had just come in to get my Pokémon checked on, and I heard the kid talking to her. A few minutes later the lady took out a squirt gun and soaked his face with it. He got mad, she taunted him...and that's how the chase started."

Jenny blinked, then turned her gaze to Dolphin. "You're Lauren Aqua, right?" After receiving a nod in response, she continued: "I understand you're well-known around here, but that doesn't mean that you can just cause a ruckus whenever you want."

'Do you have any siblings?'

Another blink. "Yes, but---"

Dolphin cut her off, then continued writing. 'Don't tell me you never acted the same way when _you_ were a kid. He takes things too seriously! Intelligence can wait---youth is for exploding!'

"That's probably 'exploring', sister," Phibrizzo muttered, standing up.

Dolphin shook her head. 'I mean "exploding", firebrat. I'm not the only basket case around here, remember?'

"You're trying to irk me on purpose, aren't you?" Phibrizzo asked accusingly. "Well---"

A nearby Poké Ball rattled and popped open, releasing Phibrizzo's Flareon---obviously at full health. Immediately, the Pokémon glowed a bright red and yelled as loud as it could, startling everyone who heard it. Over fifteen seconds, everyone who heard it was treated to its entire repertoire of noises. To anyone else it seemed like utter nonsense; but to one person in particular, it had an obvious effect.

Phibrizzo stared down at the floor. "Yeah...maybe I _do_ need to do something about my temper. Sorry about the noise."

"You understood it?" Jenny asked in surprise.

"Yeah, but that's not important." He turned to stare his sister in the eye. "Lauren, would you mind dropping by next Tuesday? I think you should meet her for yourself."

'I'll need to clear it up with Misty first. We'll see.'

Upon nodding, Phibrizzo fell backwards and hit the floor. Yawning heavily, he shut his eyes and was soon sound asleep.

Most of the audience was nonplussed, Joy and Jenny included. "All that ruckus, and he just falls asleep?" one person asked. "That kid's weird."

"Reminds me of my Persian," someone else commented. "He runs around the house for no apparent reason, then settles down and sleeps."

"Well," Jenny mused aloud, "you can't say that this job doesn't allow for entertainment..."

"Miss Aqua, is your brother going to be okay?" Joy asked concernedly as the crowd started to disperse.

Dolphin nodded, then stared down at her brother. As his Flareon sat guard over him, she began considering her options. After rejecting the first few ideas that came to mind, she smiled as she finally decided what to do. She'd have to get permission from Misty first, but it shouldn't be a problem.

_Look out, Beika: I'm coming back._

-----------------

Time: Early morning, March 12

Location: Teitan Elementary, outside the principal's office

Phibrizzo exited the office---ignoring Mrs. Valen's chuckling---and turned to regard his sister, who was leaning calmly against the wall and ignoring stares from passing students. He waited until Dolphin opened her eyes, then spoke. "Okay, I approved it with the principal. You can stay for the rest of the day. Just one thing: could you do something about the hair? It's rather unusual around here..."

Dolphin shook her head, glaring at him as if he was crazy. She didn't have her notepad out, but her expressive face told everything she wanted him to know.

Phibrizzo sighed, his breath forming a small mushroom cloud. "Alright, but do you want people thinking you're daft or something?"

His sister just smirked, then gestured with her hand towards the hallway as if to say: "Well?"

"Okay, okay. Let's just go."

------

As Phibrizzo guessed, everyone who was in the class by now had their eyes on Dolphin, who quietly strolled to the back of the room, leaned against a wall, and stayed there. He could imagine their surprise at seeing a person of her age spending time at the school. A few kids were wondering if they should say anything, but kept their questions restricted to whispered conversations.

One group that _didn't_ stay still, though, was Conan and the rest of the Junior Detective League; within seconds of the duo's arrival, the four of them were at Phibrizzo's desk. "Hi, Phibrizzo," Mitch greeted him. "Who's she?"

"What's she doing here?" George asked.

"Her hair's beautiful," Amy said, smiling.

"She's my sister, she wants to meet Miss Fitzgerald later, and she doesn't like haircuts," Phibrizzo said in order.

"It kind of runs in the family," Conan remarked, rolling his eyes a little.

"My hair's fine the way it is, Edogawa," Phibrizzo complained. "Anyway, she'll be sticking around all day." He lowered his voice. "Just ignore her. It'll be a lot easier on both her and you."

"Why's that?" Mitch inquired.

"I say 'easier on her' because she can't talk, so she'd have trouble answering your questions. I say 'easier on you' because her playful streak is wide enough to swallow a house."

There was a brief pause. "Okay..." the group chorused in a monotone. As one, they turned to regard Dolphin once again; the woman smiled and waved, then relaxed and pretended to doze off.

Phibrizzo shook his head sadly and wondered how much longer the teacher was going to be. _It's going to be a long day._

---------

Actually, after the teacher arrived, things started to go rather smoothly. After Dolphin wrote her alias 'Lauren Aqua' on the board and Phibrizzo said why she was here, this class and the next went on by without incident.

Finally, a minute into the third class, the door swung open and in went Wanda---slowly rotating in a circle as she did so. She reached the desk and almost stumbled into it, but stopped in time. "_Dizzy...my head is spin-ning..._" she muttered in English before reverting back, shaking her head. "Hello! How is everyone?"

"Fine, Miss Wanda!" the class chorused. Since the first day, they had been asked not to address her by her surname or 'Teacher'; she instead insisted that they call her either 'Wanda', 'Miss Wanda', or in Phibrizzo's case, 'Little Wanda'. A few kids even applauded, used to the teacher's odd entrance routines by now (even if they still didn't understand how or why).

"Terrific, terrific," the teacher said happily, turning to the board. "Now then, let's get down to---huh?" Her eyes ran over the unfamiliar writing on the board. "'Lauren Aqua'? Who's that?"

A polite cough from the back got her attention. Turning, she finally noticed the _really_-long-haired woman standing calmly against the back wall. Upon hearing her name, the woman opened her eyes and smiled. She didn't say anything, not even a simple 'Hello'.

The tension slowly built over the short silence that followed. Wanda wasn't sure, but there was something vaguely threatening about the woman's expression. "Um...hi?" she asked a trifle nervously.

"We want people to _like_ you," Phibrizzo said, turning to the woman, "not have them flee in abject terror. Just get out the stupid notepad and introduce yourself."

The woman glared at him for a moment in annoyance before getting out her notepad and pen, taking a few seconds to write a lengthy message. After finishing with her writing, she walked forward and handed the notepad to Wanda, who read it aloud for the class's benefit. "'Spoilsport...Anyway, I'm Lauren Aqua. I got permission from your principal to attend today's classes. If you think I act strange, it's only because I _can...'_" Wanda rolled her eyes a little before finishing: "'By the way, the dark-haired kid with the mood swings is my little brother. Just ignore him if he gets on your nerves.' Oooo-kay..."

Phibrizzo glowered at Lauren before whining: "You don't need to put it _that_ way..."

Conan, Wanda saw, seemed vaguely suspicious about something; he looked as if he'd just realized something that had escaped him previously. _He's got a real sharp eye. I'll need to watch out for him._

She knew that she'd also have to keep an eye on Lauren...there was something odd about her, and it wasn't just the fact that her hair was longer than hers (and it was _blue!_). She looked okay now, but her stare meant only one thing to her: _I'm watching you._

Gathering her bearings, she nodded and shook the offered hand. "Right. I'm Wanda Fitzgerald. Nice to meet you," Wanda said, finally remembering that it was customary to bow in greeting.

All traces of sharpness in Lauren's face disappeared, replaced by outright delight. Acting like she didn't notice the slip in proper conduct, she apparently decided: "When in Rome..." and followed suit.

Shame no one noticed that they were standing too close...until _after_ their heads collided like pins in a bowling ball's path.

Almost everyone winced when this happened, and several expressed their concern. As Wanda reassured them and waited for things to clear up, she noticed three things. One: Dolphin didn't seem phased by this, instead shrugging it off like it was no big deal. Two: Conan was giving her the same look she once got when she first tried COBOL programming...while the programmers were watching. Three: Phibrizzo's giggling fit was cut short when he fell out of his chair.

_It's going to be a really weird day_, Wanda decided.

----------

Time: 3:40pm

Location: Beika Museum

Phibrizzo stared straight ahead, his expression incredulous. Conan stared straight ahead, his own face much the same. Dolphin shrugged, smiled, and went inside without them; Rachel looked on anxiously for a few seconds, then followed her in.

As if operating on a timer, both kids blurted: "_You're_ here, too?"

Phibrizzo stepped back a pace, miffed. "Okay, I'm really starting to suspect something here. What's _your_ story, Edogawa?"

"Our teacher, Wanda, called the agency and said she had a few tickets for me," Conan told him. "I didn't want to go at first, but Rachel got excited about the temporary exhibit and told her yes." He sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Similar story," Phibrizzo said. "She somehow got my cellular phone number and called me while I was at the park. Since I didn't have anything planned for today, it sounded like a good idea. She said that her guardian was going to pay for dinner, and one thing I've learned in the past is that you don't turn down a free meal."

Conan thought for a few seconds. "I wonder...do any of you think we're being set up here?" he asked, wondering if either of Phibrizzo's 'parasites' (as he'd heard them called once) had any opinions.

"Well, maybe," Curtis's voice suggested quietly, "but I don't think we'll really know until later. It's no coincidence, that's for sure."

"Got that right," Phibrizzo murmured. "Curtis, I don't think it's good to be talking in public like this..."

"I'll keep it down, then. Thanks for reminding me."

Conan nodded. As he knew from the 'Icearc Incident', Phibrizzo had multiple 'personalities' of a sort, capable of kicking in at any time (as freaky as it sounded). He knew what Inuyasha was capable of when he took over, but didn't know what Curtis could do. He was told that he'd meet him in person sometime, but it had been several weeks and nothing had happened.

_Oh, well. It's not like it's the most important thing to me, anyway._

"Well, Conan," Phibrizzo said, shrugging off his suspicions, "shall we go in?" He took his ticket out of his pocket. "Whether it's a setup or not, it should be fun."

"Alright," Conan agreed, retrieving his own. "Might as well. I'm ready."

Smiling in anticipation, the two of them stepped through the museum's doors.

------------

_To be continued_


	23. Chapter Thirteen Part B

WHAT INSERTION?

by Curtis Wildcat

_Chapter Thirteen, Part B ---- It's Still Art, and Has Been_

----------

**(Cue theme)**

----------

After showing their tickets to an attendant, Phibrizzo and Conan were permitted to enter the museum's main room. Here, there were more people milling about than usual; the news of the travelling art exhibit had attracted a lot of attention. In the center of the room and against the wall were various stands and glass cases, containing over a dozen paintings of various sizes. Chances are that there were more in other areas, too.

Conan regarded his friend, who was smiling brightly. "If I didn't have school, I'd probably spend the rest of the week here," Phibrizzo remarked.

"You must really like art," Conan said, an eyebrow raised. "I usually don't see you smiling like that."

"Looking at artwork in person and not just in the schoolbooks...this is what I really like, not all that stuff floating around the department stores." Phibrizzo let his eyes wander. "Classic art for a kid who's not very classy."

Conan decided to do likewise. "Something I've been wondering, Phibrizzo," he said, lowering his voice. "Your tastes are _very_ un-childlike. How old are you, really?"

Phibrizzo sighed, then answered in the same octave: "You know what answer I'm going to give you, Conan, so just forget about it."

A brief silence ensued after he said this. Conan frowned, but didn't say anything. Despite him not saying anything directly, that answer confirmed that Phibrizzo could _not_ be what his appearance was telling him. _If he's going to act like a kid, he should at least put on a better performance instead of giving us these mood swings. Most kids don't take that sort of art that seriously._

_Whatever the case may be, he at least doesn't spend _all_ his time causing trouble wherever he goes._ Finishing his Kudo-style thoughts for the moment, despite how freaky they were in retrospect, he shrugged and motioned for Phibrizzo to lead the way, stepping to the side for a few seconds to let a middle-aged man past them.

After a little sight-seeing, they found Dolphin and Rachel examining a life-size sculpture of a girl. The child's facial features were distinctly European; as to which country, Conan couldn't tell for sure. He _could_ tell, though, that if Sharon Gold had painted this sculpture, she had a high measure of talent: there seemed to be no end to the colors. Striped socks, a blue buttonable shirt decorated with clouds, red tennis shoes, reddish-pink hat...

Despite having less of an appreciation for art than Rachel, Conan was definitely impressed...until a thought hit him. _Wait a second...red tennis shoes? That can't be right._

"Amazing," Rachel murmured thoughtfully. "It looks so life-like."

Phibrizzo agreed. "It does, doesn't it? Says a lot about the paint quality."

Curious, Dolphin waved a hand in front of the sculpture's face to reassure herself that yes, this was indeed a sculpture. Sure enough, it didn't move or blink. Just like a good statue.

"Something's not right here," Conan muttered. "It looks _too_ realistic..."

"Astute observation, Edogawa," Phibrizzo said sarcastically, a smirk on his lips. "Can the junior detective take a vacation? We're here to _enjoy_ ourselves, alright?"

Deciding that they'd had enough of looking at a statue, Rachel moved on to the first of the series of paintings, Dolphin not far behind. Reluctantly, Conan followed Phibrizzo as he trailed after them...

Crinkle, crinkle..._crunch, crunch, crunch._

They heard the noise, alright. As one, they wondered what was going on. As one, they figured out that it was coming from the direction of the sculpture. As one, they turned around to find the noise's source.

As one, they freaked out.

The statue that they'd been examining seconds before was kneeling on the carpet, calmly munching on a rice cracker.

Conan shook his head, trying to stop a repetitive thought. _Statues don't eat...statues don't eat...statues don't...hold on!_ "Well, do you still think she's a statue?" Conan asked testily, his eyes still wide but holding some annoyance in them.

'It's a machine,' a disbelieving Dolphin wrote in her notepad, holding it like a shield and taking several steps back. 'Keep it away!'

Phibrizzo snatched the notepad out of her hand, tore the front paper to shreds, and stuffed them in his pocket. "Machines don't eat, Tuna Breath," he said, shoving the notepad back in her hand.

"You mean...it's a real person?" Rachel asked, blinking.

The 'sculpture' turned to them, still eating...then spoke. "Why's everyone staring at me?"

"We thought you were stone and marble," Phibrizzo said, likely blushing because he hadn't known it sooner, "not skin and bone."

The girl paused briefly to take another bite. "You're not the first one today to make that mistake."

"Why didn't you move?" Rachel wanted to know. "You could've just given us a sign that you were real."

"And I don't think they allow food in the museum," Conan added.

The girl shrugged, dismissing their reminders. "I'm bored."

Sweatdrops all around. 'Kid, where's your parents?' Dolphin asked, stopping at one point to get the pen's ink to cooperate.

"Don't know. I---"

"Miss Gold," a cultured voice interrupted her, "need I remind you that you are not one of the exhibits...again?"

The group turned their heads a few degrees---as did several other people in hearing range---to regard a rather odd gentleman. The man was about five and a half feet tall, had a blue-and-white striped dress shirt with khakis, wore glasses, had fuller lips than normal, and had the number '3' painted on his shoes. "Really...we go through this every day. Enough is enough."

Conan's mind backtracked a little. "You mean she's Sharon Gold?" He looked back at the artist, who was still nibbling the rice cracker.

"Yes. As unlikely as it sounds, she's Sharon Gold, child artist. I am Mister Trey Stephenson, her manager for this tour." Even to those not paying attention, the tone would've sounded resigned.

"Nice to meet you," Rachel greeted him. Dolphin bowed a tad, Conan smiled, and Phibrizzo put on his best look of childish curiousity.

"I suppose so," Trey agreed reluctantly. "It would be a lot nicer if _someone_ didn't just stand around all day like an obelisk."

"I'm bored," Sharon told him, pretending not to hear her manager's complaint. "Can I go somewhere else?"

"Fine," Trey said, waving her off. "Just stay out of everyone's way, but be sure you answer any questions that people have for you."

Without any comment, Sharon picked up a discarded carryon bag, ventured towards a nearby hallway and continued on. Trey stared after her for a moment, then shook his head and faced Rachel. "For all her talents in art, I still wish she had a better attention span."

"What do you expect?" Rachel asked. "She's still a child."

Trey adjusted his glasses. "Yes, well, if she keeps it up, she'll be like that when she's older."

"And that's a bad thing?" Phibrizzo murmured, rolling his eyes.

Dolphin turned to him, already scribbling something. 'Behave yourself, little brother.'

Phibrizzo grimaced, then turned to Conan. "Edogawa, wasn't Wanda supposed to meet us here at about this time?"

Conan shrugged. "You know Wanda. She likes to make a big entrance. Maybe she decided to see if she could cartwheel her way into the museum."

That got a quiet chuckle out of him. "Wouldn't put it past her, Edogawa. Let's just see what happens."

Trey looked thoughtful for a bit. "Edogawa, Edogawa...hmmm...ah, yes. This girl who bought tickets here _twice_ mentioned your name. Is that right?"

Conan nodded. "Yeah. I'm Conan Edogawa, he's Phibrizzo Kaden..." He then pointed to Rachel and Dolphin in turn. "She's Rachel Moore, and she's Lauren Aqua."

'Call me "Dolphin",' Dolphin wrote. "'Aqua' is just an alias."

"She bought tickets here _twice?_" Phibrizzo asked thoughtfully. "Okay, now I'm _really_ starting to get suspicious. Edogawa, I think you're right about the whole 'setup' thing."

Rachel turned to them. "'Setup'? What are you talking about, Phibrizzo?"

A silhouette loomed from behind her adopted cousin. "Yes," Wanda's voice added. "What _are_ you talking about, Phibby?"

Phibrizzo's eyes widened, and he spun around quicker than the others could blink. Sure enough, Wanda was standing scant inches behind him. "_Wha..._Wanda, don't _do_ that! You know I hate that!"

"Tough beans," Wanda said, smiling. "I've got to have _some_ fun, right?"

"Not that," Phibrizzo complained, frowning. "Sneaking up on me is one thing, but calling me 'Phibby' is something else!"

Rachel and Conan almost fell over at this; Wanda had a good laugh at her student's expense. "I've got to remember that! How cute is _that_?"

"Do you want me to answer that?" Phibrizzo asked testily; Conan wasn't sure, but he thought he noticed a throbbing vein on his friend's forehead.

"You take everything so _seriously_. What's wrong with a little humor now and again?" Wanda asked. "You don't want to wind up with gray hair before you're twenty now, do you?"

'Yes,' Dolphin put in. 'Having _one_ sibling with gray hair is enough for me, thank you.'

"Her hair's silver. Big difference," Phibrizzo muttered, still steamed.

"_A-hem..._"

That noise interrupted the tense moment and brought everyone back to reality; Phibrizzo's anger deflated like a balloon. One by one, the group focused on Trey. "If you want to speak to me or Miss Gold once you're finished, meet up with us in the Chamber of Earth at five o'clock. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the exhibit." He adjusted his glasses before walking away. "Especially you, Miss Fitzgerald."

"Um, thanks," Wanda said, swallowing nervously. "I guess." She looked around as if checking for a clock.

_That's funny,_ Conan mused, staring at Wanda for a moment before turning to regard one of Sharon's paintings---one of a small fox sleeping while curled up around a discarded fedora. _Suddenly, she didn't seem so enthusiastic as she was earlier. Does she know Mr. Stephenson from somewhere...or is it something else?_

-------

Over the course of the next hour, the group slowly split up. After showing marginal interest in the travelling exhibit, Dolphin wandered into the Chamber of the Sea to immerse herself in that room's fine art. Rachel and Conan finished viewing most of Sharon's artwork before the others did and checked around to see if the museum had added anything to its collection since their last visit (not likely, but still possible). Wanda struck up a conversation with an older woman who had heard of the girl's reputation and wanted to know more.

Phibrizzo made his way to the main room's second floor to get a closer look at a few extra paintings. Not being your average school-kid, he'd always rather liked looking at books and art; the massive collection he owned back at his original home was proof of that. It gave him something to do during dull moments, of which there were many.

As the clock neared 5:00pm, Phibrizzo was examining every detail of the exhibit's most recent work: _See Vienna Through My Eyes_, depicting a mid-day street as seen from a child's height. _She must be what you would call a 'realist' painter, I guess._

"Probably," Inuyasha said, not paying much attention to what Phibrizzo was seeing. "Curtis, do you know what he's talking about?"

Curtis worked his way through a mouthful of hot dog before answering. "Not really. Everything I know about art can be crammed into a children's book. Everything else either doesn't interest me, or I wind up forgetting it before too long."

"That bad, huh?" Inuyasha asked, smiling good-naturedly.

Curtis did the same. "Heh. You should see some of my drawings. Anyone half my age could draw that stuff if they wanted to."

_Nice to know that YOU'RE being a realist,_ Phibrizzo said dryly. _Are you looking at these, or not?_

"I'm not saying I don't like art," Curtis said. "I like the stuff they have here...most of it, anyway."

Phibrizzo nodded, taking one last look at the picture before turning towards the stairs. _It's almost five. We should find Conan and Wanda and see what's going on._

Inuyasha nodded. "What about your sister, the cold fish?"

_I'm not worried about Dolphin, _Phibrizzo told him. _She should be fine where she is, as long as she doesn't touch anything._

------

In the Chamber of the Sea, Dolphin was starting to get the feeling she was being watched. Turning around, she found out that she _was_: about five people had gathered around her, watching her curiously and ignoring the statue she'd been examining. One of them, a guy with short, spiky brown hair, had out a camera and was busy snapping pictures; the others had notepads and pens.

Dolphin started to edge away, unnerved by the camera despite the fact that Misty had already explained what it was. _Okay...maybe I should've done something about my hair after all._

------

"Phibrizzo, this _is _yoursister we're talking about, no one else's," Curtis reminded him. "She's by herself in an unfamiliar place. Do you really think things are okay?"

"And don't forget that Dolphin's probably not used to hanging around humans all the time," Inuyasha pointed out. "That, and this era's machines and devices are probably going to set her off."

Phibrizzo sweatdropped, imagining Dolphin panicking at the sight of a microphone. _Fine. I'll go get her._ He turned on his heels and headed towards where he figured his sister would be: the Chamber of the Sea.

-----

Finishing up her conversation with the older woman, Wanda noticed that Phibrizzo was leaving the main room for another part of the building. She didn't know where, but that fact was moot: she was going to test her students' thinking capabilities in the best way possible.

Looking around for a second, Wanda mentally prepared herself for what was to happen and started towards the Chamber of Earth. _Here goes. Let's see what Phibby and Conan can do!_

----

From across the room, a large man with gentle eyes watched Wanda as she headed off to the Chamber. _That's my signal. I hope this turns out well._

----

Phibrizzo caught up with Dolphin at the far end of the Chamber of the Sea. She was cornered by five very puzzled people, one of which had a camera; they were asking various questions, such as why she had blue hair, why it was so long, and why she was so afraid of them. Deciding she'd had enough, Phibrizzo shouted: "_Hey! Leave her alone already! If she doesn't want to answer your questions, she doesn't have to!_"

The group turned, and the person with the camera decided to protest. "We just want to know..."

"What you want to know is none of your business," Phibrizzo growled. "Tell me: is getting information from her worth getting sued over?"

"Sued? By who---you?" another person asked incredulously.

"I didn't ask you to speak," Phibrizzo declared. "I repeat: is it worth it? One: that woman's my sister. Two: my aunt's an attorney. One plus two equals more trouble than you can handle. Besides, some knowledge is better off done without!"

"Tough little kid," the camera person grumbled. "Who are you to tell newspaper _reporters_ what to do?"

"He's not worth it, Carson," another in the group said. "If he wants us to stop pestering his sister, we should respect that, lawyer or no lawyer. Besides, we're here to interview Sharon Gold anyway."

Carson shrugged, putting his camera away. "Fine, fine. I still think it's really stupid that you're letting yourself listen to a kid who's probably just fooling around."

"I have the police department's phone number," Phibrizzo said calmly. "And I can call and tell my aunt that you're invading another person's privacy without a warrant. After you're sitting in a courtroom going over something that could've been avoided, you go ahead and ask yourself if I'm just fooling around. I am _not_ your average kid."

"Well..."

Phibrizzo shoved his hands in his pockets and started tapping his foot impatiently.

Carson sighed, lowering his camera. "You're serious, aren't you?"

A nod. "Yes."

"Alright, sure." He gestured towards his fellow writers. "Would you go on ahead? I'm going to stick around and take a few pictures."

"You sure?" asked one of them.

"Right. I'll catch up with you."

Reluctantly, the remaining four writers vacated the Chamber of the Sea, and Dolphin started to relax little by little. Phibrizzo frowned a little as a thought came to him. _I know we both came from a medieval-esque world, but I wish she'd get over her...'technophobia', I think is the word. I don't know why she hates machines and technology._

"She doesn't seem to mind that device she carries her Vaporeon around in," Inuyasha remarked, taking a seat in the back of his chamber. "She's gotten used to at least that."

_Point. Still, she really irritates me sometimes._

Curtis glanced at something, then returned his gaze to the outside world. "Siblings tend to do that."

Phibrizzo turned from Carson, walked a few paces, then stopped. _It's about five. Mi---Wanda probably wants me to meet up with her, Trey, and Sharon over in the Chamber of Earth...I don't really have anything to ask him._

"Well," Curtis started to say, "maybe you---"

Just then, Phibrizzo felt something being pressed into his hand. Turning a little, he saw Carson standing near him with a contemplative look. "Wait until you get home before you open it up," he said after a few moments. "Now's not the time for that." Having said that, he started strolling around the Chamber and taking a few snapshots.

Phibrizzo looked down at his hand to see what was in it. His eyes met with a small velvet-covered container, not much larger than his hand and temporarily sealed shut with tape. He shook it a little, only to be greeted with silence. _Probably nothing in there._

Inuyasha sniffed the air a few times. "Just stick it in your pocket for now," he said. "We can just look at it later, like the guy said."

Unsure, Phibrizzo placed the container in subspace. _Alright._ He turned over to Dolphin, who had recovered her composure and stepped next to him when Carson went about his business. "Are you okay, sister?"

Dolphin slowly nodded, although her expression could've said: 'I've been better.'

"Good. Whatever," her brother said, latching onto her hand. "Come on. Let's get to the Chamber of Earth. I think we're late."

------------

The room was dark when the two of them arrived, which was surprising. "That's odd," Phibrizzo said to himself. "I thought the museum wouldn't close for a few hours yet. And where's Mr. Stephenson?" He let go of Dolphin's hand and fumbled around the nearest wall, searching for a light switch.

Dolphin, meanwhile, instinctively released supersonic waves from within her throat; such waves helped her navigate even in pitch darkness, and helped her determine where any obstacles were. On the off-chance that her brother couldn't get the lights on, at least she'd be able to walk around without hitting anything.

It was by means of these waves that she was able to locate something thrown haphazardly into one corner of the room. _Odd...their organizational skills are rather shoddy. What's over there?_ She sniffed the air a few times...and flinched. Whatever it was, it wasn't good.

"Come on...where's that stupid switch?" she heard Phibrizzo grumbling to himself. "Where's that---there. That's it." The lights finally came on, allowing Dolphin to see everything, including whatever it was that seen in the distant corner. Phibrizzo saw it too, and his eyes widened; Dolphin, already having a good idea what it had been, only grimaced a bit. Both of them recognized the the limp figure that was propped in one corner.

_Wanda!_

The siblings took a few steps closer and drunk in the details. Phibrizzo's eccentric teacher had her hand on her arm; her spiky red hair was frayed; judging by the rasping noises, she seemed to be having trouble breathing. There was definitely someone out there who didn't like her.

Wanda's voice, which sounded a tad strained, interrupted both their thoughts. "Phibrizzo...call the police. Get your friends in here...can I trust you to do that?"

Phibrizzo's eyes narrowed as he nodded. "Count on it, Wanda. I'll be back as soon as I can! Lauren, watch her for me!" No sooner had he spoken his words than he turned on his heels and scampered out the door.

Dolphin stared after him, once again wondering at his commitment to humans but dismissing it quickly. After all, she'd become quite committed to someone back in Cerulean City: the gym leader, Misty, who had taught her the fundamentals of living in this strange world. She knew it was strange for _anyone_ of her kind to feel this way, but she didn't argue; acting like her usual self back home had gotten her nothing but the worst centuries of her life. She didn't know how long she would be on this planet or how she would get back, but until then she would accept the changes in her life. If it meant being friends with a human, she could handle that until she found a way to return.

-----

As Dolphin kept her eyes on the place where Phibrizzo had been, she didn't notice Wanda's expression forming an eager grin. _This is going to be fun._

------------

_To be continued_


	24. Chapter Thirteen Part C

WHAT INSERTION?

by Curtis Wildcat

_Chapter Thirteen, Part C ---- _The Art of Investigation

----------

**(Cue theme)**

----------

Time: Ten minutes later

It didn't take the police very long to respond, arriving at the museum within the first few minutes of Phibrizzo's frantic phone call. Although some people were wondering why they were told not to go beyond the main room, no one argued. Before long, a group of people had gathered inside the Chamber of Earth: Phibrizzo, Conan, Rachel, Dolphin, the injured Wanda, Trey and Sharon, Inspector Maguire and two of his officers, and two men who had been close enough to the scene to warrant questioning.

Conan vaguely remembered one of those men going past him right after his arrival, and he wondered why there hadn't been anything suspicious about him at first. The same was true with the other person; the last time he was seen, he was calmly viewing the art exhibit like everyone else. There was a lot he didn't know...yet.

"Alright," Maguire said, starting things off. "According to what Miss Fitzgerald told me, she was attacked while on her way to this room...at approximately 4:58. She claims that someone tried to strangle her, and he or she managed to twist her arm in the process. Failing strangulation, she was thrown into the Chamber of Earth and had the lights shut off on her. Now everyone, speak up; I need to hear exactly where each of you were at the time this happened. Phibrizzo, we'll start with you."

Phibrizzo nodded. "I was in the Chamber of the Sea, arguing with a persistent reporter at that time. I wouldn't have heard any sounds of a struggle unless I was standing near the door."

"I was in the Chamber of Heaven, looking for art." Conan didn't have much to say, even though he knew that every detail helped.

"I was with Conan in the same room," Rachel said. "I didn't know if the museum had added anything since we were last here, so I thought I'd look around. Before that, I was viewing the special art exhibit in the main room. When we passed between the rooms at about 4:50, there wasn't anyone there."

Silence, and several seconds of it. Everyone looked to see if Dolphin was going to say anything, but of course she remained quiet. She checked the pockets of her performance outfit, looking frustrated. "Well? What are you looking for?" Maguire inquired.

"For her notepad," Phibrizzo said. "Lauren can't talk, in case you forgot from our last meeting."

"Well, that complicates things," Maguire muttered grumpily. "How are we supposed to know where she was if she can't say anything?"

"That's easy," Phibrizzo replied. "I'll answer for her. A bunch of newspaper men were asking her inane questions in the Chamber of the Sea. They're the ones I was busy chewing out while the scuffle was taking place."

Dolphin's eyes widened as she realized something, and she slapped her forehead in annoyance.

Phibrizzo shook his head. "You left your notepad back in there, huh? Way to go, Trout Face."

"_Anyway_, thanks for filling us in," Maguire said, stopping a one-way argument from taking place. "Mr. Stephenson, where were you when the incident took place?"

"Trying to keep Sharon busy," was Trey's answer. "When she gets restless, I need to find ways to keep her occupied, or else I would be driven out of my mind. At the time, I was in the main room."

_Munch, munch, crunch_.

Most of the group sweatdropped as they turned to Sharon, who was once again helping herself to a rice cracker. "Sharon, I really don't think you should be eating in the middle of an investigation..." Rachel tried to say.

"You have any more of those, Miss Gold?" Phibrizzo interrupted.

Sharon nodded, handing him another cracker out of her carryon bag. "Thanks," Phibrizzo said, happily nibbling on the snack.

"Phibrizzo, you're not helping," Rachel muttered, annoyed.

"Miss Gold," Maguire asked calmly in an effort to get things rolling again, "where were you at the time of the incident?"

Sharon gazed at the ceiling for a moment. "Mr. Stephenson was trying to keep me busy. I remember a wax figure of a chicken..."

"I take it he has to do that quite often, huh?" Phibrizzo asked around a mouthful of rice cracker, ignoring the clucking noises Curtis was making.

"You've never seen the inside of the plane we took," Sharon told him. "Wax figures as far as the eye can see. There's three of them just inside the rental car we took here."

"And what do you do with them---paint them or something?"

"Yes. It's fun."

"That's neat. How much do they---" Phibrizzo caught Dolphin smiling at him out the corner of his eye, and turned to face her. "What are _you_ smiling about?"

Dolphin jerked a thumb towards the others in the room; everyone else was staring at him with either puzzled or annoyed expressions. Phibrizzo stared back for several long seconds, then said confusedly: "Well, what is it you want?"

Wanda would've facefaulted if she wasn't trying so hard to maintain her dignity.

Still smiling, Dolphin mouthed the words: 'Get back on track, would you?'

"Fine, okay, sure," Phibrizzo grumbled. He nodded once at Maguire. "Go on ahead."

"_Thank you_. Now, then..." Maguire focused on the first of the two men that they hadn't talked to yet, a large man with gentle eyes, curly brown hair, and a short mustache. "Who are you, and what were you doing at the time of the accident?"

"My name is Murray Laronski," the man said, introducing himself. "At the time of the incident, I was in the main room, viewing the exhibit..._Seagulls Over the Marketplace_, I think it was. Shortly beforehand I had left to use the restroom, but other than that I never left the room."

Maguire jotted that down, turning to the middle-aged man. "And what about you?"

The gray-haired man bowed. "I'm Maxwell Stein, former industrialist. Several times in the past hour, I've had to call my family for updates on my father, who is presently in the hospital. I thought I'd heard someone making noises when I walked by there earlier, but by then I needed to answer my phone again, so I didn't investigate."

Conan gazed at each of the men in turn as Maguire continued to question them, then noticed Phibrizzo glancing at him out the corner of his eye. He'd finished what was left of the rice cracker, but now he and Sharon were both doing anything _but_ paying attention to the Inspector's questions. If anything, he seemed bored. Sharon kept fidgeting, obviously wanting to be anywhere but here.

Slowly, the pint-sized detective slowly gazed at each person. Trey frowned at something Murray was saying to Maguire, but didn't comment. Dolphin was focused on the information Murray provided, absorbing every word. Rachel seemed rather apprehensive, possibly as a result of Phibrizzo's actions a minute prior. Murray glanced at Maxwell as the older man talked about how he'd wanted to go to this museum for months; neither of them looked pleased at being here, but the same could be said of everyone.

For a moment, as part of him listened to the interrogations, Conan became more curious about the situation. He wished that he could somehow duck out into the hallway and see what he could find, but there was no way he could without getting everyone's attention. For the time being, he was stuck.

There was a knock at the door, interrupting the questioning. Maguire muttered to himself, and then said: "Come in."

A third officer walked in, holding something in a sealed bag. "Excuse me, Inspector," he said, "but we're finished checking the hallway. All we could find was a broken piece of plastic and metal. We're not sure what it could've been a part of."

Maguire accepted the bag and examined its contents for a moment. "The metal doesn't look sharp enough to be used as a weapon; looks more like a piece of a screwdriver...I don't know where the plastic came from, but keep it on hand." He handed the bag back. "It might be important somehow. Now, are you sure that's everything you could find?"

"That couldn't have been all," Wanda muttered. "Whoever attacked me _must've_ left more evidence than that behind."

Rachel regarded her for a few seconds before asking: "Wanda, did you even get to see who attacked you? There has to be more to the incident than this."

"No, I didn't," Wanda told her, her voice quiet. "Like I told Inspector Maguire earlier, I was on my way to the Chamber of Earth to discuss something with Mr. Stephenson. I thought I heard a voice behind me, but I didn't see anyone when I turned. When I started to go down the hall again, someone grabbed me around the face." She waved her good hand in front of her face and grumbled: "I hate the smell of fabric softener...

"Anyway, I tried to pry the man's arms off my face and succeeded after about four tries. I tried to run off and get to a phone, but the person grabbed my arm and twisted it as hard as he could..." She paused for a second to rest her voice, then continued. "I don't know why he didn't do away with me right then and there, but whatever the reason was, the person tossed me into this room and left. I didn't really regain my bearings until Phibrizzo and his sister found me."

"...Unusual," Phibrizzo admitted, talking almost to himself. "Whoever it was probably attacked out of anger, but didn't finish the job. Did he have second thoughts about carrying out the attack, and then just couldn't admit his guilt? Was there something he forgot to do, or what?"

"Whichever it is, it still doesn't make sense," Rachel said. "Unless the person wasn't thinking straight, I don't think criminals are that sloppy. Maybe---"

It was at this point that the brief brainstorming session was interrupted. "Excuse me, but could someone direct me upstairs?"

-------------------

One by one, everyone else in the room turned towards the door. Standing in the doorway, tacky earrings and all, was Mrs. Valen. The woman had a confused expression on her face. "Anyone?"

"Principal Valen?" Phibrizzo asked, puzzled. "What are you doing here?"

"I had time after work to come here," Mrs. Valen complained as she approached them, "but I can't make heads or tails out of that map in the main room. I've been through nearly every room, but I still can't find the stairs."

Sweatdrops formed on several heads; the stairs _were_ in plain sight, after all. Maguire glared at Mrs. Valen for a moment, then looked at the others questioningly. "She's alright. I haven't seen her here all day," Phibrizzo said, "although I _don't_ get how she couldn't find that---" He paused for a moment and turned to his principal; his face brightened in understanding as he smiled. "Oh, I get it. You got lost, didn't you?"

Annoyance flickered across the principal's face. "I was hoping you didn't know about that..."

"Your directional problems run in the family, don't they?" Phibrizzo asked. "Figured that since Ryoga's your nephew---"

"_Normally_, as a principal, part of my job involves being respectful and helpful to children," Mrs. Valen said, smiling like she usually did. "But I'm not at work, you're not being respectful, and you brought up a sore subject. So, _shut up_."

Rachel stepped forward, frowning as Phibrizzo rolled his eyes. "Excuse me, but telling him to shut up is a bit much. He may not be Mr. Manners, but he doesn't deserve that."

"Maybe so, but my time is precious, and I don't like having salt rubbed in my wounds," the principal answered, her smile gone. "Could someone take me to the stairway?"

Conan stepped forward and volunteered himself for the task. As he took Mrs. Valen's hand and led her towards the door, he caught the look that Phibrizzo sent him. _Guess he and I are thinking the same thing. This is as good a time as any._

--------

As they shut the door behind them and slowly started down the hall, Mrs. Valen shook her head. "Of all the times for that quirk to re-assert itself..."

Conan looked up, curiousity temporarily overcoming the need to examine the now-unoccupied hallway. "Quirk...?"

Valen sighed, stopping and making Conan release her hand. "Have you ever heard about a kid named 'Ryoga Hibiki'?"

"Phibrizzo's mentioned him. Why?"

"You ever hear what people call him: 'The Eternally Lost Boy'? It's been said that he couldn't find his way out of an empty tool shed. There have been times where he disappears for weeks on end, simply by trying to reach a building down the street; once, it took him half a week just to reach his own backyard. This problem's actually quite widespread; nearly everyone on both sides of Ryoga's family has it. It's so bad that some people actually call it a curse, when in reality it's just a result of faulty genes." Valen chuckled quietly. "A 'directional curse', my foot."

Conan had heard Phibrizzo explain it to him during his stay at Nerima the previous month, but the image still didn't fit with the laws of physics. "What about you, Mrs. Valen?"

Valen shrugged; she'd come to the conclusion that Conan was smarter than he looked, so she didn't hesitate to tell him. "My situation's minor in comparison. I manage alright if I have a compass and a map, so I can still do my job once I find my office; I even keep them pocketed in case I get lost inside the school. If I lose either of those, though, I'm in trouble. I've already missed work a handful of times this year. I can't even get a driver's license; that's the biggest problem with...I'm ranting, am I?"

Conan smiled and waved it off. "That's okay. You still manage pretty well despite all that."

Valen smiled. "I have to. It's my job. By the way, did I stumble onto an investigation back there?"

Conan nodded, quickly giving Valen a run-down of what had happened so far. Afterwards, the principal accepted what she heard. "The prodigy teacher was attacked? Somehow I'm not surprised."

"You're not?"

"Nope. Wanda's had one attempt on her life once already, or so she told me."

"'Or so she told' you...?" Conan asked, eyes part-way closed.

Valen chuckled. "She took an accelerated course at college; I know that much to be a fact. I'm still undecided as to whether..." She began imitating Wanda's voice. "'...one of the technology gurus there got jealous that I was a better programmer that he was and tried to attack me with a strange magic marker'." Stopping for a moment to breathe, she finished: "Likely story. Seriously."

Conan's head tilted just a little. "She sure isn't ashamed of her accomplishments, is she?"

"Never has, never will," Valen agreed, taking Conan's hand and resuming their walk. It wasn't until they actually reached the main room that she added: "Really, she could stand to learn a few things from you kids..."

Conan walked over towards the stairway...

_Wait a second. Strange magic marker?_

...went a few steps up, and let go of Mrs. Valen's hand. "There you go."

"_Very_ much appreciated, Conan." Valen started to go back _down_ the stairs, but caught herself in time and continued on up. "See you tomorrow!" she said as she walked away, laughing to herself a bit.

Conan---and several nearby on-lookers---sweatdropped. The miniature sleuth quickly shoved that aside, though, and wandered on back to the hallway. Out of view of most of the tourists---and anyone else who saw him would probably just think he'd dropped something---he went down on his knees and began examining the room intently.

Maguire's officers had been pretty thorough. Conan knew that the police department usually found stuff that either he or Richard missed, but he was willing to believe that this time it was the other way around.

Sure enough, at the base of a wall, there were some miniscule blue specks; when Conan touched one, it left a small mark on his hand before crumbling. Not much by itself, but still...

A minute or two later, however, further examination of the hallway revealed nothing more than the occasional stray thread or dust. Shaking his head at the surprisingly substandard amount of evidence, Conan got up and heads back towards the Chamber of Earth...

_Hold on a second. Dolphin mentioned that she'd left her notepad in the Chamber of the Sea. Might as well get it and spare her a trip; besides, knowing how Phibrizzo acts around his sister, he probably could have left out something out of the ordinary just to spite her._

Slowly walking into the Chamber of the Sea, Conan quickly scanned the room to see where the notepad was lying. Quickly spotting it next to a sculpture, he dodged around a few people and retrieved it. Confirming it was Dolphin's, he turned and began to pace towards the door...

...and spotted something resting near the. Closer examination revealed it to be a broken piece of what must've been a knife; the edge was too jagged to be anything else. Taking care to touch it only with the tips of his fingernails, Conan slipped it inside the notepad. After giving the room a quick once-over to see if he had missed anything, he then headed back to the Chamber of Earth.

------------

While Conan was taking Mrs. Valen to the stairway, the situation was slowly deteriorating. Maguire was thinking about heading out into the main room to question several others, but Trey had told him that people were confused enough to know that police were there; they didn't want to start a panic.

Next, both Murray and Maxwell insisted that it wasn't really worth keeping anyone in here; for all they knew, the culprit who attacked Wanda could've already left. Wanda vehemently insisted that whoever had done the deed was still within the museum; thus, anyone was a potential criminal. That shut both of them up.

Dolphin was glaring at everything and everyone, upset that she couldn't communicate without her notepad. Sharon had tentatively offered her one of her remaining rice crackers, and now the blue-haired woman was glaring at everything and everyone while nibbling on a snack. Her distress was beginning to bother those nearest to her.

Phibrizzo was busy trying to form different theories in his head about who could've done the task and why. Murray, with his large hands and build, could've done it; on the other hand, the industrialist could've been clever enough to sneak up on Wanda. Trey, too, seemed to have the look of a strategist. There were simply too many theories going around, though, and no evidence to go by other than the broken metal and plastic.

Speaking of which, what really was that stuff?

Phibrizzo took a quick look around. Sharon wasn't paying much attention to the discussion, instead opting to glance around at various artwork. Both Dolphin and Rachel were listening to Maguire, who was questioning Murray and Maxwell; Trey had interjected with a question of his own, suggesting that Maxwell had used the volume of his conversation as a cover for Murray.

Since no one was paying any attention to him, Phibrizzo edged around and manuevered himself so that he had a better view of the plastic bag. He squinted to see if that would help, but it wasn't much. _Do either of you know what that it is there?_

Curtis put on his glasses and walked to the very edge of his chamber. "A few steps closer..."

Phibrizzo took a few quiet steps forward, trying not to distract anyone. He could see the bag's contents a bit better, but not enough to discern what they were.

Curtis pressed his face against the invisible barrier. "That plastic thing...looks kind of round and thick...there's a small hole in the center. It's probably me, but it looks like a cap that you'd find on a magic marker."

"Magic marker?" Inuyasha asked.

"It ain't really magic," Curtis clarified. "It typically just used to emphasize text and what not. They come in lots of colors, too."

"If that's true," Inuyasha said, "then the Inspector's men aren't as good as they're supposed to be. Looks to me like they just picked up some random trash."

_Possibly...what about that metallic thing?_

Curtis focused on it. "Like Maguire said, it's probably part of a screwdriver. Don't know why a screwdriver and a marker would go together, though."

Conan chose that moment to re-enter the room, carrying Dolphin's notepad. The woman perked up and started towards him, but the mini-sleuth just gestured towards Phibrizzo; Dolphin got the hint and instead stepped over near her brother. Maguire and the others confirmed that Conan had returned, then went back to their discussion.

As he, Phibrizzo and Dolphin huddled together, Conan took out the knife piece and held it gingerly between his fingernails. "I took Mrs. Valen to the stairway," he explained, "then looked around a bit more." He raised his free hand to show the blue spot that was on his fingers, then went on. "I found traces of something in the hallway. Went I picked it up, it left this blue mark on my hand."

"So it _is_ a magic marker after all," Curtis's voice whispered. "Did you see anything else?"

"Not in the hallway, no," Conan said, keeping his voice down. "I went into the Chamber of the Sea to get Dolphin's notepad, though, and I found part of a broken knife. It didn't look much wider than my finger."

Phibrizzo nodded. "We found out what was in that bag," he hissed. "Part of a screwdriver, like that inspector said, and a magic marker cap."

Conan blinked, then held one hand to his chin in thought. "Come to think of it, Mrs. Valen mentioned that someone back in America had tried to attack Wanda once before...using a 'strange magic marker'. I'm thinking perhaps that person attached this knife piece to the marker before making his move."

"Maybe," Curtis muttered. "Perhaps he didn't have a full-length knife at his disposal, so he had to make do with what he had. Sad, really."

Phibrizzo didn't answer for a few moments. "I don't know," he said almost inaudibly. "Something about this whole mystery is bothering me."

One of Dolphin's eyebrows lifted questioningly. Behind her, Sharon edged a few steps over in hopes of catching their conversation.

"I mean, Conan and I were both asked to come here. Right when we're supposed to meet with Trey and Sharon, Wanda gets attacked. The hallway that leads to this Chamber is in full view of plenty of people, and yet only those two individuals saw anything happen. The principal appears and tells you about that other fiasco. You find the trace of marker, plus a knife that _wasn't in the Chamber of the Sea_ just a short time earlier."

Conan nodded, remembering that Phibrizzo and Dolphin had been in that room at the time of the attack. "You mean you didn't see the knife in there?"

"It's a long piece of metal that reflects light," Phibrizzo murmured, glaring sideways at him. "I think I would've seen it if it had been there earlier. But I was in there barely a minute before we found Wanda, and I got a good look at the place. Other than a statue or figurine---made of marble, not metal---there wasn't anything shiny."

Having gone unnoticed by Phibrizzo and the others, nearly everyone in the room had quieted down in order to hear what was going on. Seeing several heads appear behind Dolphin and Conan, Curtis had switched off the microphone and had sat back down, not wanting to attract unwanted attention.

"Come to think of it, Edogawa, there was something kind of odd while you were gone," Phibrizzo continued. "Earlier, Wanda's voice sounded kind of sore; understandable, considering that someone tried to strangle her. You'd think she'd want to rest her voice for a bit, but then she insisted to Murray and Maxwell---quite angrily, in fact---that the culprit was still inside the museum. When she spoke, I didn't notice any signs that she'd even been attacked. And I'm willing to guess that she wasn't even touched; if there'd been a struggle, you'd think her clothing would be disheveled gotten dust on it or something. It wasn't."

"And there wasn't any indication that the knife had been used, either..." Conan added.

There was several seconds of silence. Three sets of eyes widened in realization, then narrowed as the trio came to the same conclusion.

"Phibrizzo?"

"Yes, Edogawa?"

"Someone's been toying with us."

"Really?" Phibrizzo asked mock-confusedly. "Who?"

"Oh, I don't know. Probably someone who knows that we're smart kids..."

Phibrizzo smiled. "Plenty of people know that. Go on..."

"...someone who placed potential evidence in misleading spots..."

"That narrows it down some. Go on..."

Conan let the broken knife fall to the floor. "...someone who wanted to see if we would catch on to the ruse..."

"Good, good..."

"...and someone who's nuttier than you and your sister put together."

Dolphin reclaimed her notepad. 'Heeyyy...'

"It's the truth," Phibrizzo said, not skipping a beat. "And, as cousin Rachel's boyfriend has been heard saying, 'there's only one truth'."

"That's right," Conan said aloud, not noticing Rachel's surprised reaction. "A knife that wasn't even used, a marker that has nothing to do with the situation, a voice heard loud and clear. This means one thing..."

The three of them turned to face the others. _"Wanda Fitzgerald, you've set us up from the start!"_ the 'kids' declared, while Dolphin simply glared at the teacher.

------

It was dead silent for about ten seconds. Finally, knowing that her pretensions were no longer needed, Wanda smiled sheepishly. "I guess you win. Still, I was expecting it to take longer than that."

Sharon, Rachel, and Maguire's officers stared in confusion. "What just happened?" Rachel asked, curious. "I get the feeling we've missed something. Was this really a setup?"

"That's right." Wanda motioned towards Phibrizzo and Conan with her so-called 'bad' arm. "A while ago, I decided that I was going to test any gifted students I came across. I found out that Phibrizzo's good at picking up things out of the ordinary, and Conan's a little brighter than normal."

Conan frowned. _A _little_ brighter than normal?_

"I figured that since he lived with a detective, he would've picked up a few tricks. So, I talked with a few people that I've met since I came to town and set this whole thing up." Wanda gestured towards Murray and Maxwell. "Thank you very much for your roles in this game. You'll get the checks by Friday."

Murray smiled, pleased that the 'experiment', as Wanda had put it to him, had gone well. Maxwell nodded and accepted the prodigy's thanks.

"I'll admit to being surprised when Miss Fitzgerald called me at the station yesterday," Maguire admitted. "She told me that she was going to take several students to the museum. When she told me to expect a phone call, I was a bit suspicious. I _am_ a little upset that she did this without providing further information, but at least no one was really harmed."

"Leave it to a prodigy to come up with something like this," Trey stated. "If only she'd been a bit more careful with their actions..." He glanced briefly at Murray and Maxwell. "...she would've had everyone think that one of them was guilty. Miss Fitzgerald told me that she wasn't really in danger, and to play along until the issue was resolved. At least it shaved some extra time off our schedule."

"And what about Principal Valen?" Phibrizzo asked, frowning. "How'd she fit in?"

"She didn't," Wanda confessed. "I'd told her that I was testing you and Conan, and nothing more. I didn't know that she would be here."

"What were you going to have them think," Rachel inquired, "if they didn't come to the right conclusion?"

"That someone in this room---namely, either Max or Murray---had attacked me," Wanda clarified. "In the end, it would've seemed like Max had stood in front of that hallway and made one of his phone calls while Murray attacked. He would've taken a detachable blade---obtained via a Swiss army knife---and taped it to a magic marker, then tried to attack me with it while I was caught in the strangehold. The arm injury simply would've been an additional insult."

Wanda folded her arms and smiled, turning to her students. "I'm impressed with you two. You saw through the ruse faster than I thought...about twenty minutes, I think. I was expecting it to take about thirty-five."

"Good," Phibrizzo said, stretching his arms above his head. "It's over with. Just do me a favor, Little Wanda: if we're going to be set up again, I'd at least like a little _warning_."

"Where's the fun in that?" Wanda asked, smiling cutely.

"Indeed." Phibrizzo smirked. "Where _is_ the fun? Come here!"

Wanda took a few backwards steps towards the exit. "Now, just...calm down, Phibrizzo..."

"Why? It's time for _recess!_" Phibrizzo declared, chasing after her as she spun around and fled. "We can't let you have all the fun!"

Picking up her carryon bag, Sharon immediately departed after them, surprising Trey. "Wait..._Sharon Gold_...!" he called out indignantly, starting after her.

Dolphin held her hand out to the side, keeping him from following her. As Murray retrieved the detached knife, she simply shook her head and showed Trey a pre-written message: 'Let them be. Children will be children.'

Rachel looked over at Conan as if to say something...only to find that he was already out the door. She shrugged and smiled, silently agreeing with Dolphin's words.

------

Shortly after the police left, Dolphin and Rachel found the foursome in the parking lot. Phibrizzo was chasing Wanda around the lot, throwing tennis balls on occasion and only stopping his pursuit long enough to retrieve them; the two of them were causing quite a ruckus. Sharon had spread a picnic blanket on top of Mr. Stephenson's rental car; she and Conan were calmly watching the proceedings while snacking on rice crackers and tea.

When the chase looked as if it were going to wind down, Dolphin took out her water pistol and drenched them both. Phibrizzo and Wanda shook off the water, looked at each other for a moment, nodded their heads in silent agreement, and started pursuing Dolphin. The sight was almost ludicrous.

Rachel sighed. "Guess it'll be a little bit."

Sharon looked at her and held up a cracker. "Want one?"

"Sure. Why not?"

------

After the group said their good-byes to Sharon, Trey, Maxwell, and Murray, a car came to pick them up. The fivesome were soon treated to a nice dinner, although Dolphin refrained from eating any seafood. They listened to stories that Wanda told about her guardian, a blonde-haired baseball player who turned professional only a year ago; said guardian told her to quiet down in case anyone was listening.

Finally, at 7:00, the group went their seperate ways. Before departing, Wanda told Phibrizzo: "By the way, just so you know...I've never played _Tetris_ before in my life." The half-mazoku arched an eyebrow, surprised that she'd remembered, but otherwise didn't respond.

--------

Time: 8:15p.m.

Place: Phibrizzo's bedroom, Kaden residence

Inuyasha swung the Tetsusaiga from side to side in his chamber, grunting with each swing. After a few minutes, he slowed down and stopped. Relaxing a little, he looked out the viewport. "I'm starting to wonder if it was a good idea to let her go."

_Huh?_ Phibrizzo's mind was still on the events of the day, so he didn't get what he was referring to at first.

"I mean at the end of last month," Inuyasha reminded him. "You know, when we---oh, forget it." He sat down and glared out the viewport. "You're still hung up over what happened today, aren't you?"

_No, I'm not._ Phibrizzo stared out the window at the darkened sky. _It was a good day, even though we did get led around by the nose for a little bit._

"Sounds like you took Dolphin's advice to heart," Curtis said. "You can have all the talent in the world, but in the end a child's still a child."

_True enough, I guess._

No one spoke for a few minutes as the trio harbored their own thoughts. Inuyasha finally spoke up. "Hey, Phibrizzo? What was in the container that guy gave you earlier?"

_Oh, right. That thing the camera person gave me earlier._

Sitting on the bed, Phibrizzo took the velvet container out of subspace and picked at the tape; the stuff wasn't adhered to the velvet enough to impede his progress for more than five seconds. A piece of scrap paper was revealed sticking to the container's metallic insides. Staring in wonder, Phibrizzo tore off the paper and read its message silently:

"Caution is in the eye of the beholder. Careful, for I will watch out for you. Sincerely...

"_The captain._"

------------

_Chapter Thirteen concluded. Chapter Fourteen soon to commence_

Author's Notes

I want to apologize for how long it took me to write this; like I've said before, I simply can _not_ write a decent mystery. To make up for this, chapter fourteen should be coming out a lot quicker (reason being that I've worked on part of it already).

As someone already guessed, Wanda Fitzgerald is indeed the 'What Insertion?' equivalent of Washu. I did a little research into Washu's character on the Internet, and figured that the version from the 'Pretty Sammy' television series would probably work out the best. I have no plans to watch the series, though. Just so you know. Wanda herself will have a major role later on, as will her guardian, so keep an eye out.

Trey Stephenson's first name is pronounced the same as 'trei' (I think), which is one of many variants of 'three' in Europe. If you consider that he's paired with a realist painter named Sharon Gold...yep, you guessed it: Mr. 3 and Miss Goldenweek. Believe me, I'm not done with the crossovers just yet. Heh, heh.

Even though Mrs. Valen's related to Ryoga, I didn't want her directional problems to be as severe. Thus, I made it so that she'd need at least two directional aids to keep her on the right path; any less, well...take a wild guess.

If you've paid _Case Closed_ close enough attention, you'll recall the company 'Mantendo' that shows up in a few episodes. An odd name, but I guess 'Nintendo' had to be honored somehow.

That little thing Inuyasha mentioned towards the end may be mentioned again sometime. Haven't totally decided yet.

Another chapter in the books. Moving on...


	25. Chapter Fourteen, Part A

WHAT INSERTION?

by Curtis Wildcat

_Chapter Fourteen, Part A ---- Sure Isn't Rocket Science_

----------

**(Cue theme)**

----------

Location: East of Cerulean City

Time: Saturday, March 16, 10:04a.m.

The sky was blue, although several clouds to the west promised some rain in a few hours. The wind was gusting, but not to any extreme degree. Early this morning, this area was one of the quietest spots around; anyone who cared for such things would take the time to enjoy the setting.

It was like that this morning, as stated. Didn't mean it was like it now.

A towering pillar of fire split the sky, reaching 40 meters before fizzling out and shrinking. Another flame pillar, this time with something being thrown skyward, flared up and burned itself out. As the something descended, a third blast slowed it down enough for it to land safely.

That 'something' turned out to be Flareon, who had been working on increasing the intensity of its attacks. Phibrizzo, who was wearing his sunglasses with his fireball T-shirt, took in the scene calmly from the grass. As had become his custom on Saturdays, Phibrizzo teleported in after breakfast to enhance his Flareon's abilities. He'd learned early on that its strengths were primarily offensive, leaving much to be desired defensively. It hadn't helped that its previous trainer had ignored the speed issue, leaving it no faster than an 'average' Flareon.

Phibrizzo didn't like 'average'. It simply wouldn't do...especially not against a foe like Domino. By the time he faced her, Flareon would have to prove that it could hold its own against even faster and tougher opponents.

And if it mastered the moves that the trio had in mind, all the better.

The flame fizzled out again, and Flareon landed safely; it seemed a bit winded, but otherwise willing to go on. After saying as much to Phibrizzo, though, the half-mazoku just shook his head. "Take five," he said, laying against the grass. "We'll practice some more in just a bit."

'Whatever you say,' Flareon told him, settling down. 'You're the boss.'

Phibrizzo sighed. _Boss...it's been a long time since I've been called 'boss' or 'master'. I don't even remember what it feels like anymore._

"How long _has_ it been?" Curtis, who was finally feeling somewhat better despite his illness, inquired curiously.

_Just over a thousand years,_ Phibrizzo said bitterly. _ Ever since, I've resorted to calling _others_ 'master' or 'boss' just to keep up my ruse. I've forced a smile on my face more times than I care to think about. I'd like to think I've wandered that continent nine times over while waiting for the right opportunity. I've masqueraded as a human boy for longer than I can remember, and what has it gotten me?_

"The need to inflict your depression on others?" Inuyasha mumbled.

Phibrizzo's eyes narrowed. _If you're going somewhere with this, I don't want to hear it._

"Can't go anyplace in _here_." Inuyasha eyed the button-layered wall for a few seconds, then returned his gaze to the viewport. "In fact, you're not going anyplace either. Not with a personality like that."

Curtis nodded, sipping some pink lemonade. "Open up a bit, _kid_. What do you think we've been telling you the last month and a half?"

_'Give up every thought you've known yourself to have, forget being a mazoku, and join up with the rest of us humans',_ Phibrizzo told him sourly, imitating his voice.

Curtis and Inuyasha just stared, eyes half-closed. "Okay...one: we didn't say that," the human informed him. "Two: that voice doesn't sound anything like mine. Three: it's not as bad as it sounds."

_I prefer _my_ 'bad' the way it is. If you keep implying stuff like that, you can forget about offering me any advice; I'll just do things my own way._

"It's the same old argument," growled Inuyasha. "You're afraid your masochistic personality's going to be swept aside, so you're repeating idle threats." He placed a hand on Tetsusaiga's hilt. "Giving in to your inner character won't give you three seconds!"

_So you've reminded me,_ Phibrizzo said, wincing at the memory of Inuyasha's Wind Scar. _Could you do me a favor? Just be quiet and let me brood in peace._

Just then, he felt something nudge his arm. Phibrizzo glanced up to see Flareon staring at him, looking as worried as possible. 'What's with you? You're looking as if you're hurt.'

"Bad memories," Phibrizzo said, putting on a reassuring smile. "Nothing I can't handle."

'If you say so,' Flareon said reluctantly, nestling next to Phibrizzo and relaxing somewhat. 'If you want to talk, I'm listening...'

"Excuse me!" a voice called out. "Everything alright over here?"

Phibrizzo sat up, identifying his caller as a skinny teenage boy with short red hair and green wristbands. "I'm alright," he replied. "Just resting for a bit."

"Okay...just making sure," the boy said. "I saw all this fire over here, and when I went to see what was going on..."

"It's okay," Phibrizzo told him, putting his sunglasses away. _I wonder..._ "Hey, you don't suppose you could battle me...um..."

"Greg Maron. Nice to meet you."

"Phibrizzo Kaden. The same."

"Weird name."

Phibrizzo frowned. "Nice. Are you able to battle, or not?"

Greg held his hands in front of him. "Okay, okay. You don't need to get mad at me!"

"Sorry...I know my name's strange, but I wish people would stop telling me about it!"

Flareon nudged him again. 'Boss, don't get off-topic.'

Rolling his eyes a little, Phibrizzo stood up. "Alright, then. You all set?"

Greg smiled. "Whenever you are!"

------

Thirty seconds later, the two trainers were standing a set distance apart. Flareon stared at the opposing trainer, ready and willing to battle officially for the first time in more than a month (the battle against Team Rocket didn't count as far as he was concerned). _I'm actually a tad nervous, but if Phibrizzo isn't..._

Behind him, Phibrizzo smiled and tensed himself. "First Battle, Take One. And..._action!_" he exclaimed.

"That's as good a starting signal as any," Greg remarked, tossing and activating a Poké Ball. "Go, Dugtrio!"

As the mole threesome materialized in the ground, Phibrizzo's mental eyes turned inward. _Curtis, what information do you have?_

"Basically, it's really fast," Curtis told him, racking his brain for helpful information. "And against Flareon, its stronger attacks are going to do a ton of damage. As soon as it goes underground, be careful!"

_Underground? Alright. Gotcha._ "Okay. Should I go, or shall you?"

"I'll go. All set, Dugtrio?" Greg asked.

"_Trio. Trio._"

"Terrific. Dugtrio, Tri-Attack!"

"_Trio!_" A triangle of rainbow light formed between the mole's three heads, becoming a ray that targeted Flareon's waiting form.

Phibrizzo's fist clenched. "Alright, let's try this! Flareon, Reflect!"

Gritting its teeth, Flareon tensed every muscle in its body. A brilliant flare of fire, emanating from the creature's mouth and mane, seemed to harden and solidify into a reflective shield moments before the Tri-Attack made contact. As the smoke and dust settled, the fire-type seemed to be okay; none of the status conditions that the move was known to inflict was made apparent, either.

Greg frowned. "I didn't know Flareon could learn that move. How'd _you_ find out about that?"

Phibrizzo smiled, looking innocent; only his fireball T-shirt suggested otherwise. "I had someone I know look up information on him," he explained as the Reflect defense dissolved. "It took some time, but we were finally able to work things out."

The frown was gone. "You only _look_ like a beginner. In that case, excuse me for holding back with that last one! Dig down, Dugtrio!"

Without hesitation, the mole Pokémon vanished underground in a cloud of dust. Phibrizzo gritted his teeth, hearing Flareon's angry exclamation: 'It's gone!' "Stay calm, Flareon," he muttered, "and wait for my signal!"

-----

A short distance away, two men in gray uniforms were crouched behind some trees. One of them, a skinny man with short red hair, held a pair of binoculars in his hand. "That's the kid the boss wants?" he asked. "I don't get it."

"What's there to get?" the second man---portly, and having a mustache---said gruffly. "You heard what the boss said: 'This kid has special talents. I want him captured and brought to me, but be careful of the abilities he has.' What he wants, he gets."

"He doesn't look too special. If anything, he looks demented."

"Just watch the battle, would you, Stan?"

-----

_Wait for it,_ Phibrizzo told himself, repeating the phrase mentally. _Wait for it. Wait for it..._

"Dugtrio, Earthquake!"

_Wait for it..._

The ground beneath Flareon began rumbling...

_Wait for it..._

A multitude of cracks formed beneath his feet...

_Now!_ "Blaze Away!"

Without a second to spare, Flareon faced the ground and blasted it with his Flamethrower. Just like in practice, the attack's propulsion carried it upwards, out of reach of the Earthquake's cave-ins and high-intensity rumbling.

Greg didn't like where this was going. "Dugtrio, resurface and use Tri Attack!"

The Dugtrio ceased the 'quake as ordered, reappeared, and prepared to attack Flareon while its defense was down. Greg smiled to himself. _This time, it won't be able to use Reflect to protect itself!_

Phibrizzo suppressed a smirk; the tactic seemed to be working. "Blaze Brigade!"

Flareon shut off the Flamethrower, dropping straight down and avoiding the Tri Attack by a hairsbreadth. Immediately, he fired a brief burst straight down; the fireball's recoil and resulting explosion shot him back up. As he came back down he fired again, shifting his aim a little to carry himself towards the Dugtrio and dodging another Attack as he did so. He kept up the motion, using the repeated Flamethrowers as a pogo stick of sorts...and putting himself in position for a counterattack.

Greg saw the glint in Phibrizzo's eyes. _Uh-oh!_ "Dugtrio, get down!"

"Not this time," the half-mazoku warned. "Flamethrower!"

Just as Greg's Pokémon dived under again, a trail of fire shot into its tunnel. After keeping it up for a few seconds, Flareon let the Flamethrower subside before landing back on solid ground, panting a little. A few seconds later, a charcoal-colored Dugtrio resurfaced, coughed, and sunk down near the ground.

Greg shook his head, then recalled the defeated Dugtrio. "Sorry about that," he said, as if talking to it. "Rest up, and we'll try again some other time. Okay, pal?"

Flareon turned to croon something at Phibrizzo. "Yeah, _I'll_ say," he responded, all grins. "This _is_ fun!" Laughing delightedly, he let himself fall over on the grass. His Pokémon trotted on over, making a similar noise; it felt good to be able to win, especially after the losing streak he was on.

Greg walked over to him and waited for him to stop laughing before grasping his hand. "Nice battle," he told Phibrizzo, who shook his hand from the ground. "Rather unusual, but I guess it works. I'll need to try something like that sometime."

"Thanks." Phibrizzo let himself relax. "I'm preparing for a tough match sometime in the future, and I want us to be as prepped as possible."

------

"Well, Stan?" the well-rounded man asked from the shelter of the trees.

"Okay," 'Stan' said, lowering his binoculars. "I'm definitely convinced. We'll wait until that other guy leaves, then capture the kid and tote him back to Headquarters. Good enough, Ollie?"

"Good enough. Did you bring the tranquilizers?"

Stan checked his bag. "I...think I left them back at the base."

"What about my Tyranitar?"

"He's still on vacation at Mount Silver, remember?"

Ollie sighed. "Did you at least bring the electrified net?"

"Yes...I think so."

"Guess we'll have to settle for that, then."

-----

"A tough match?" Greg asked, unaware of the nearby spies. "Against who---the Cerulean gym leader? Your Flareon _would_ have to be real strong to beat the water-types there."

Phibrizzo shook his head. "Nope. Against a Team Rocket agent that really hates my guts. She's given me some time to prepare myself, thankfully."

Greg's eyes widened. "Against one of _them_? I've heard rumors about them. They're supposed to be pretty ruthless. Sounds like you have your work cut out for you."

"No question about that. Thanks for the match. That was my first real battle, and I think the experience will help a lot. Where are you off to, might I ask?"

"Well, I'll probably be going to Saffron City. There's a Contest Hall there that's under construction, and I thought I'd go there and possibly compete when it opens."

Phibrizzo resolved to ask Curtis about that later. "Contest Hall? Neat. Hope you win, then!"

"I'll do my best, for sure. See you later. Wish you the best!" Greg said, backing up a few steps and waving.

After acknowledging his departure, Phibrizzo stood up and brushed himself off. _Alright, good. The training session's over, and we put some of Flareon's new skills to good use. Let's see...we could wander around Cerulean for a bit and see the sights. We could find a way to earn some of the local currency. We could go to the gym and bother Dolphin and Misty, get information on that Contest Hall the guy mentioned, or we could go home early and find something else to do. Suggestions, anyone?_

"The currency is nice," Curtis said. "You'll never know when Flareon's going to get seriously hurt, and it would help to get some so you can purchase antidotes and the like."

_Alright. The currency it is, then..._

_Whoosh!_

A large net travelling at a high velocity smacked into Phibrizzo, knocking him to the ground and entangling him within. "Whaa---! Where did---"

The net started crackling, then blazed to life; Flareon reflexively jumped back, not wanting to get caught as well. As the voltage---equal to that of a Thundershock---streamed into him, Phibrizzo flinched, then shrugged and brushed at his arms as if trying to wipe off dirt. "Kind of tingles, but I don't know..."

"Well, if you're half-mazoku, then a lot of stuff isn't really going to hurt you," Inuyasha informed him. "But who threw that net?"

"Two guesses, and neither of them count," Curtis said, pointing off to an angle.

_I see them. Now they're treating me like a Pokémon by catching me with a net._ As the electricity started to wane, Phibrizzo's skin temperature started to rise. _No one treats _me_ like that!_

Phibrizzo's arms and hands began glowing a deep purple, and whatever parts of the net that came into contact with them were burned clear through. He stood up and cleared what was left of the net off of him, the heat stifling itself as quickly as the electricity that powered it. "Okay, where are those guys?"

After about ten seconds, two men stepped out from behind the trees: the spies that were observing them earlier. The well-rounded one seemed perturbed about his net being ruined, and the redheaded guy looked as if he were about to cry. Both of them wore gray uniforms with a letter 'R' stitched on the front.

"Well, the boss wasn't kidding about you," the round one said. "Better get ready and come along. He wants to talk to you."

"Let me guess," Phibrizzo deadpanned. "Team Rocket? I thought you guys liked to introduce yourself."

"Well, the last time we did that, our target scampered off before we could finish," the skinny guy explained. "So, we stopped doing that."

"That explains a lot. Who are you guys?"

"Call us Stan and Ollie," the skinny guy told Phibrizzo. "We were going to try to capture you, but you destroyed the only net I had. So, it looks like we're going to have to battle you, right?"

Phibrizzo shrugged. "Sure, if you can give me a few coins if I win."

"A few coins?" Ollie asked curiously.

Phibrizzo rubbed the back of his head. "Well, the money I _do_ have isn't good around here, and I thought I could earn some if I beat you."

"Well," Stan said, "I don't see why not."

Ollie whirled towards him. "Stan, are you crazy? We don't do 'legitimate'! Why do you think we joined Team Rocket?"

"The kid's broke, and he wants to earn some by battling us," Stan argued. "It's only fair."

Ollie sighed. "Fine, but you're paying."

Phibrizzo sweatdropped as he turned to Flareon. "Well, are you up for another battle?"

'As long as it's quick,' was Flareon's answer. 'After this, can we call it a day?'

"Sure; I'll treat you to something for lunch if we win. Are you carnivorous, omnivorous, or what?"

'Omnivorous. Why?'

"Are you done yet?" Ollie asked, interrupting them.

"Just about. Let's go!"

------

Two minutes later, Stan was recalling his defeated (and scorched) Furret, once again appearing emotional. He and Ollie silently promised that they would find some way to bring the kid back to Headquarters.

Phibrizzo had left the field, counting what the agent had given him. He and Flareon went to a local restaurant and snacked on Razz Berry tarts with whipped cream; a few other patrons thought this scene was cute, although the two of them didn't really notice. Afterwards, Phibrizzo dropped Flareon back at the Pokémon Center and high-tailed it for home.

Similar things occured the next day. After a particularly intense session where Flareon started learning how to increase his speed, Stan and Ollie attempted using a bagfull of tranquilizers on Phibrizzo. Since he only _appeared_ human, though, all they really did was irritate him with all the stinging. Following that, Ollie tried using his Raichu to battle...and wound up issuing his opponent with some money as well.

On Monday, Phibrizzo never showed up; the duo didn't know this, but he was back home in Beika attending school. On Wednesday, they went back to Headquarters and reported that their target hadn't been seen since Sunday; concluding that Phibrizzo only showed up on weekends, Giovanni told them to return to their assignment during that time. On Saturday morning, while waiting in disguise at the Cerulean City Pokémon Center, they intercepted an interesting message intended for their target...

------

Time: Saturday, March 23, 1996; 8:45a.m.

"Hello, Phibrizzo," Nurse Joy said in greeting. "You're here for your Flareon, aren't you?"

Phibrizzo waved good-naturedly. "Yeah. Gonna give it some more speed training this morning, maybe this afternoon if he's up to it."

"That's nice," Joy commented, accepting Flareon's Poké Ball from a nearby Chansey. "Here you go---"

_"Ring-ring-ring! Ring-ring-ring! Phone call! Phone call! Ring-ring---"_

The incessant noise stopped as Joy answered the videophone. "Hello?"

"Ah, Nurse Joy," a middle-aged man's voice greeted her. "I hope I called at the right time. Would a trainer named 'Phibrizzo Kaden' be available?"

"Of course. He's right behind me. Did you need him for something?"

"Yes. May I speak to him for a minute?"

Phibrizzo walked behind the counter and sat down in front of the videophone, taking Joy's spot as well as Flareon's Poké Ball. "Hello? Who is this?"

"This is Professor Oak," the man said. "Nice to meet you."

Phibrizzo's eyes widened a little. "Wow, no kidding," he murmured. He'd heard of Oak's reputation; maybe he could get some answers that Curtis couldn't provide. "What do you want me for?"

"I heard a little from Nurse Joy about you wanting to learn more about Pokémon in general," Oak explained. "How would you like to come by the lab sometime and get a few pointers? My assistant and I would be glad to help you out."

"Would I?" Phibrizzo exclaimed. "I'll do it! I'll be there as soon as I can!"

Oak chuckled. "Yes...I heard about those abilities of yours, too. I'd like to see them, too."

"Can do," Phibrizzo said excitedly. "Give me a few hours, and I'll be there!"

"That's good news. I'll talk to you later, then. Okay?"

"Okay. Bye-bye!"

------

Shortly after that, as Phibrizzo left the Center, a disguised Stan turned to Ollie. "You heard what the professor said, right? The kid's going to Oak's laboratory. Just think of the opportunity we have!"

"There have been a few attempts on the place already," Ollie whispered back. "You heard about what happened to Butch and Cassidy that one time. If we're going to clean the place out, we should come prepared."

Stan tapped his chin. "I have a mop..."

"Not _that_ kind of cleaning, Stan. We're going to need every little bit of equipment we have if we're to succeed. The net didn't work, and neither did the tranquilizers. We'll need to go with Plan C."

"Plan C?"

"Yes. We'll need to access what we left back at Headquarters and go to Pallet Town immediately. With that stuff in hand and with my Tyranitar back from its vacation, we should be more than ready to defeat Phibizzo and leave him with the boss."

"Sounds good to me."

The two of them got up and started to leave when Stan suddenly thought of something, stopping cold. "Um, Ollie?"

"What is it, Stan?"

"Isn't it pronounced 'Phib_ri_zzo'?"

"Just get to the 'cycles, Stan."

----

"So, Curtis," Phibrizzo asked from within the pillar, "are you remembering anything?"

Curtis, who'd made sure no one was watching before he took control, shook his head. "I don't remember too much about Oak's lab. When we teleported to Cerulean City the first time, I'd recently looked at a picture of the gym, so I had the details down. In this case, the only thing I remember about the lab is the windmill next to it."

"In that case, just give me the directions," Inuyasha said, stepping over to the 'Switch' button, pressing it, and taking his spot behind the wheel. "You _do_ know the general location of the place, do you?"

"Right. Here..."

After listening to the directions, Inuyasha leapt from the trees onto the rooftops and took off from there. From Cerulean, they went straight west over Mount Moon and into Pewter City, where they memorized the location of the local Pokémon Center before heading south. After passing through both Viridians and startling more than their fair share of people and Pokémon, they came into sight of Pallet Town shortly before lunchtime.

It was shortly after Inuyasha landed on a tree limb, getting ready to jump again, when Phibrizzo finally spoke up. "Hey, Inuyasha? Let me back out. I'm set to go." Looking outside, Curtis could see why he asked to be released: the windmill---and Oak's laboratory by extension---was within sight. That was true, at least, until Inuyasha jumped down and turned things over back to the half-mazoku.

After Phibrizzo regained control, he started going over some mental math and began circling around an out-of-the-way tree, stopping when his back was towards Pallet Town. He checked over his shoulder a few times, estimating the distance. _Hmm...a Rocket probably won't be enough. I'll have to go with something that'll guarantee more distance!_

Getting an idea, he wound his arm and shot it around the tree, making sure it circled enough times before pulling it tight. He kept stepping back until he couldn't go any further, picked up his feet and let his arm uncoil, picking up speed as he was twirled around the tree.

"_Gum...gum..._"

At last, going as fast as he could, he let go of the tree and launched himself into the sky with the force of a bowling ball hurled from a trebuchet.

_"Spriinngg!"_

-------

Inside his lab's living area, Oak turned to the brown-haired trainer who was sipping a drink calmly. "I really appreciate you helping me with this, Richie. After that last attempt by those thieves, it'll be nice to have this security system up and running."

Richie took another sip and smiled. "It's the least I can do after you helped me out with my Eevee, Professor. I think I have a pretty good idea what I can have it evolve into at this point."

"Whatever it is, I'm sure you made the right decision." Oak looked out the window. "I don't know when Phibrizzo's going to get here. You don't mind sticking around until then, do you? It may take some time."

"No, I don't mind. Is that okay with you, Sparky?"

Sparky, who was given something to drink as well, responded with a cheerful "_Pi-kaaa_" before continuing.

"Good. Very good." Oak went over and sat on the couch opposite of Richie, folding his hands. "You've met Phibrizzo before. What's your opinion of him?"

Richie couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Funny you should---"

_"Banzaiiiii!"_ **_Crash! Ka-Boom!_**

All of them jumped as something exploded outside the lab; a siren went off somewhere nearby. "What was _that_?" Oak asked, startled.

"Beats me. Let's check it out!"

When the three of them hurried outside, holding their noses to keep from breathing in the massive dust cloud, they found a small crater several meters away from the door. When they approached, they heard a muffled snicker...and as the cloud dissipated, a boy pulled his head out of the dirt. "Air mail," he said, laughing. "That was fun! I want to do that again!"

Richie sweatdropped, while Oak just blinked. "Um...is that you, Phibrizzo?"

Phibrizzo seemed to remember where he was, and his smile turned a little embarrassed. "Yeah, it's me. Sorry about the entrance." After shaking some loose dirt off his head he focused his eyes on Richie. "Wow, didn't expect to see you here. Small world after all, huh?"

"Hi, Phibrizzo," Richie said a tad reluctantly; the nearby siren was shut off, assumably by Tracey. "Didn't expect you to show up this way. Actually, I half-expected you to teleport."

Oak stared at the two in surprise; not noticing this, Phibrizzo shook his head. "I can't teleport to a place I haven't been, unless I know what the place looks like. Besides, the scenic route's much nicer. I hitched a ride with someone, then used that last trick to get me over here once I came to town."

Richie cracked a half-smile. "You're bizarre. Did you know that?"

"Yes. So I've been told." Phibrizzo turned to Oak. "Hi, Professor! Nice to meet you in person!"

-----

Once Oak got over his surprise, everyone---accompanied by Tracey, who had approached them while they were busy speaking---went inside and took a seat, wanting to hear more about what Phibrizzo was doing here.

Obliging them, Phibrizzo gave them a somewhat-shortened version of his story and answered minor questions along the way. He told them about his primary abilities, although he deliberately left out any details about his _Dark Harsh_ attack (Richie was silently wondering about that, although he didn't say anything). He told them how he wound up in Cerulean City, was reunited with a sister he'd thought was long gone, battled against a tough Team Rocket agent (with Misty and Richie's help), gained a partner in Flareon, and had set to work honing the Pokémon's abilities in preparation for the eventual matchup with Domino. He briefly mentioned the two agents that he'd encountered, and explained that he wanted to learn more about the fire-types that inhabited the region---and, if possible, those that lived in Johto as well.

He made it clear, though, that he was _not_ looking to take the 'Gym Leader Challenge', as some called it; his schedule would prevent such a thing from happening, and he didn't want people asking why someone so young was out on his own---the fact that he possessed extraordinary abilities notwithstanding.

After Phibrizzo concluded, there was a lengthy silence as everyone digested the story. Oak was the first to speak. "You know, Phibrizzo, if it wasn't for that entrance you made, I'd have a hard time believing you."

"You're not the first to say that," Phibrizzo said, "and you won't be the last, either. In the meantime..." He unhitched the Poké Ball from inside his shirt sleeve and maximized its size. "You can come out now, Flareon."

The ball rattled for a moment and opened of its own volition, releasing Flareon. The Pokémon looked around at its surroundings before jumping in Phibrizzo's lap and settling there.

"It seems really attached to you," Tracey remarked, wondering if he should sketch a picture of this. "Normally, you'd have to activate it to get the Pokémon out."

Phibrizzo shrugged. "I found out that if Flareon's not tired, he'll come out on his own if he hears my voice. I don't understand why, but I won't argue."

"Interesting," Oak mused for a moment before asking: "Excuse me for not asking sooner. Would you like anything to drink?"

"If you have any, I'd like some coffee," Phibrizzo suggested. "I don't handle sugar very well, so I'll just have it plain."

"That's okay," Tracey told him, getting up and heading towards the kitchen. "I'll get the coffee machine going."

"I wonder if I should make a list..." Richie murmured to himself as Sparky nodded in agreement. "'Rubber limbs', 'teleports', 'drinks coffee'..."

Phibrizzo tapped his chin, then spoke before Oak could say anything. "You know, Richie...I don't know much about you, but from what someone told me you're typically a lot nicer than this. I'm not weirding you out or anything, am I?"

"Well...a little," Richie admitted. "It's almost kind of frightening that you can do these things..."

"Could be because he doesn't keep his abilities a secret," Oak told him before questioning Phibrizzo: "Out of those that you're acquainted with, who _doesn't_ know what you can do?"

Phibrizzo started counting off on his fingers. "Hmmm...my foster parents don't know...there's this fifth-grade kid and his older friend who don't know...my principal's suspected something, but I don't know if she's figured it out...most of my friends at school don't know...my aunt and uncle don't know...about nine or ten people, unless I've missed someone."

"And why haven't you told them, as opposed to those you _have_ told?"

"My foster parents don't need to know," Phibrizzo said, frowning. "I think I may clue in my older friend at some point, I don't know...unless it's an emergency, I won't tell anyone else. I've needed to tell those that absolutely needed to know about it, and a few that are already used to strange things happening...but not my closer family and friends. They're not ready for it; I can't trust them with the secret. I just..." He sighed. "...I don't know how to put it."

"You're afraid that they'll think of you as some sort of monster and turn you away," Richie said, understanding. It wasn't a question.

Phibrizzo slowly nodded, barely noticing when Flareon starting rubbing against his hand. If only Richie really knew what he was... "Right. It sounds weird coming from me, but I don't want to alienate what few friends I have...I guess something told me I can trust you. You don't seem like the gossipy type to me." He smiled sadly. "Don't know why I'm talking like this..."

Tracey re-entered the room at this point, sitting down next to Oak. "The coffee should be ready soon..." He saw Phibrizzo's forlorn expression for the first time. "Is something wrong?"

"I'm okay," Phibrizzo answered. "Just doing some serious thinking about myself, that's all." After he stretched a little, his expression changed. "Enough drama. I need to start thinking positive...as much as I hate to do it..."

Flareon sat up and nudged his chin, getting his attention before whining a little. "You want to see how much you've improved by taking one of Richie's Pokémon on? I don't know if that's a hot idea," Phibrizzo warned. "We're talking a tournament-level team, here."

"He can understand Pokémon?" Tracey asked interestedly. "That's neat!"

"Just the fire-types," Phibrizzo said, half-listening to Flareon's dialogue. "Flareon, Richie's no amateur, and I'm no professional. Could you stop bugging me?"

A dejected Flareon's answer was a long, drawn-out "_Flarreeeeeee..._" Oak got the impression that it was acting like a child that had seen a candy bar and wouldn't let his parents have any peace.

Phibrizzo cringed. "Don't get all cute on me. Okay! Okay!" Sighing, he pushed Flareon off his lap, stood up and turned to the Professor. "Professor, is there anyplace around here safe enough for a battle?"

"You saw the grasslands just north of Pallet Town, didn't you?" Oak suggested. "How about there?"

"As good an idea as any. You up for it, Richie?"

Richie smiled. "Always!"

"Thanks. I'll be back in time for that coffee, okay?"

Tracey waved. "Alright. We'll see you then!"

-----

Location: Somewhere between Pallet Town and Viridian City

Two characters on motorcycles---decked-out motorcycles large enough to fill a parking space---slowly cruised down the road, then pulled behind some trees and stopped. One of them removed his sunglasses and helmet, revealing himself to be Ollie. "Should be a nice place for the ambush. What do you think?"

The other man did likewise, checking the surrounding area. Beyond these trees was the road itself, plus many acres of grasslands. Generally peaceful, very few---if any---Pokémon lived in the grasslands themselves, except the occasional Rattata or Oddish. Not that he cared, of course; he was of Team Rocket. "As good as any. Do you have everything this time? I don't want to go back there. When I mentioned our target's name, that woman's face scared me off."

"Fireproof nets: check. Auxiliary smoke and knockout bombs: check. Explosive adhesive: check. Tyranitar: check. That's everything. Why are you so worried about what _she_ thinks?"

"You didn't see her face, Ollie," Stan said, trembling as he remembered her reaction. "She looked as evil as the boss. When I said we were going to bring in the kid using what we had, she just laughed...and not in a good way."

"You'd think after her team got wiped out at the Cerulean gym, she'd be a lot less happy," Ollie thought aloud.

"Maybe...do you think she's _happy_ that the kid's beaten us twice?"

"All I know is that she's spending all her spare time in Headquarters' training facilities for _some_ reason. The Black Tulip doesn't let anyone outwit her and get away with it. I know that much. Anyway, do you know the plan?"

Stan nodded. "It's a real doozy, for sure; the trick is simply to make him waste his energy. If electricity and tranquilizers can't subdue him, _this_ will."

"Why didn't those tranquilizers work?" Ollie asked. "That was enough serum to neutralize a Dragonite."

"That's the fifth time you've asked me, and the fifth time I've had to say 'I don't know'." Stan took a peak through some binoculars. "I see him. He and another kid are coming towards the field. Quick---let's get ready!"

------------

_To be continued_


	26. Chapter Fourteen, Part B

WHAT INSERTION?

by Curtis Wildcat

_Chapter Fourteen, Part B ---- Tricks of the Trade_

----------

**(Cue theme)**

----------

"...and you're positive about this, right?" Phibrizzo was saying as he walked up the path, Flareon and Richie close by.

"Absolutely," Richie confirmed. "I heard about it on TV just the other day. The Contest Hall in Saffron City's supposed to be accepting applicants for contests in only two months or so, so that trainer you met's probably going to be there."

"Neat. Sounds like something Dolphin would like. I ought to pass that along. I've got one more question, if you don't mind..." Phibrizzo stated hesitantly.

Richie shrugged, careful not to dislodge Sparky. "Sure. What is it?"

"When you were out getting badges for the 'Indigo Plateau'---I think that's what the place was called---did you pass through Saffron, by any chance?"

Richie shook his head repeatedly. "Uh-uh. I'd heard rumors about what the gym leader was like, and I didn't want to chance anything. I just went on to a different town and got a badge there instead."

Phibrizzo smiled. "Well, I have it on good authority that Sabrina's gotten a lot nicer since then. You don't need to worry about that sort of stuff happening again."

"Really? Where'd you hear that?" Richie asked, interested.

"Well, I heard it from---"

"_Flareee!_" Flareon squealed.

"Don't interrupt me," Phibrizzo mumbled. "Now, as I was saying---"

"_Flareee!_"

"Whatever it is, it can wait," Phibrizzo growled. "Quit doing that! Anyway, I heard it---"

"_Flareeee-onnnn!_"

Phibrizzo smacked his forehead as Sparky giggled to himself. "Fine, you can tell me now! What is it you want?" he grumbled.

Flareon took a few seconds to croon his reply. After he finished, Phibrizzo groaned and shook his head. "Flareon, has it ever occurred to you that you may be biting off more than you can chew? I told you already: he's no rookie!"

Flareon barked something in return.

"For all the new stuff you're learning, I sure wish you could tell when _not_ to pick a fight," Phibrizzo said, eyes narrowing. Grumbling to himself, he turned back to Richie and said: "He wants to know if you have any strong rock-types on your team at present."

Richie nodded. "Yeah; Cruise and Granite...my Pupitar and Rhydon, respectively."

Flareon shifted one paw back and forth, as if playing "eeny-meeny-miney-moe", then made his choice. Phibrizzo grimaced before saying: "He wants to battle Rhydon."

There was a few seconds' pause. "Phibrizzo," Richie suggested slowly, "have you ever thought that Flareon might be a tad headstrong?"

"I kind of see what he's getting at, sad to say," Phibrizzo admitted. "By overcoming his weaknesses, he stands a much better chance at beating Domino. I just which he'd take it a bit more _slowly_. Flareon, you sure you don't want to take on someone else---like say, Sparky?"

Flareon shook his head. "_Eeeon._" You didn't need to understand Pokémonese to know he was saying 'No way'.

Phibrizzo and Richie just rolled their eyes and shrugged before taking spots at opposite ends of the field they'd just arrived at.

--------

Curtis sighed as he turned away from the viewport, focusing instead on the video game he was playing. "Well, this should be over fast. The chances of Flareon beating a high-level Rhydon are about the same as me losing enough weight to squeeze into a crawlspace."

"Slim?" Inuyasha asked from his chamber.

"Exactly."

Phibrizzo grumbled something inarticulate as he prepared himself. _Curtis, you need a hobby._

Curtis smiled, watching as an electronic basketball player missed a 3-point shot. "Whatever; it's your call. Let me know how it turns out."

Across from Phibrizzo, Richie called out his Rhydon. The rhino-like Pokémon snorted as it saw its opponent, almost as if it were beneath its notice.

Phibrizzo smirked. _This'll be a toughie. That dense hide will keep any physical attacks from harming it, so I'll need to turn up the heat if I want to win this. Don't know if it's a good idea, but oh well!_ "We'll need to play it smart, Flareon. Let's not try anything drastic just yet!"

Richie smiled confidently. "It'll take more than smarts to win here! Granite, Take Down!"

The massive Rhydon roared and charged, the vibrations shaking the ground beneath Phibrizzo. _I doubt Reflect will help much here. Speed, don't fail us now!_ "Agility!"

Concentrating, Flareon darted out of the way of Rhydon's Take Down. As he focused every fiber of his being into his newfound speed, he heard Phibrizzo give his next command: "Let's test that thick skin! Get behind it and blast it!"

Putting on the brakes a safe distance from Granite, Flareon immediately assailed it with Flamethrower. Considering the temperature extremes that Rhydon could endure, Phibrizzo wasn't expecting it to do much; but it would give him an idea of how much Flareon would need to exert itself.

"Stop that Flamethrower, Granite!" Richie called. "Mud Slap!"

Growling as it moved, the Rhydon reached down with a clawed hand and swiped the ground, sending dirt and mud towards Flareon. The fire Pokémon didn't react quick enough, and the debris that got into its eyes was enough to disrupt the Flamethrower.

Richie was quick to capitalize on the situation. "Now's your chance, Granite! Horn Drill!"

As Granite roared in confirmation, the horn on its nose began spinning at high speed. The Rhydon lowered its head and stomped his way forward as fast as it was able.

Phibrizzo's eyes narrowed. _There's only one move I can use with it blinded like that. Wait for it...now!_ "Blaze Away, Flareon!"

Trusting Phibrizzo, Flareon stopped shaking its head and propelled itself upward with a column of flame. Rhydon's Horn Drill missed by scant centimeters. Extinquishing the flame, Flareon descended...and landed on the rocky rhinoceros's back.

Phibrizzo tensed himself. "Are you ready? Here goes nothing!...

_**"Furnace!"**_

Richie's eyes widened a fraction. _Furnace...?_

Flareon gritted its teeth and concentrated. As its mane of gold-yellow fur fluffed out, making it seem more and more like a miniature lion, its red fur began to glow as its internal fire sac began heating to its very limits. The specks of dirt in its eyes slid down his face to the ground. Its body became too hot to touch, and the air around it began rippling as a sign that the temperature was becoming unbearable. Granite muttered something and tried swatting Flareon off, but the little fire-type was in the one spot it couldn't reach.

Sparky moaned something and backed off; the heat that Flareon was emitting was starting to get to him. Richie wiped his forehead free of sweat and tried to focus. "Phibrizzo," he shouted, "what's going on?"

Phibrizzo, who seemed unaffected by the heat, grinned. "Like it? Way back in our first session, I got motivated after I saw Flareon reasborb some fire. I figured that if it could absorb fire to power itself up, why not use fire _on the inside_ to increase its strength? It took a day or two to build up some endurance, but by keeping the flame retained inside him, he basically becomes a living fireball. Think of it as an internal Sunny Day."

_That's not good!_ "Granite, get it off of you!"

After trying to shove Flareon off once more, Rhydon tumbled onto its back in an attempt to squash him beneath it. Recognizing the danger, Flareon was able to stumble off and onto the ground awkwardly. It couldn't dodge Rhydon's swinging tail, however; the fire-type was knocked aside and sent tumbling across the field. It rolled a few times before coming to a stop.

Richie didn't waste any time. "Let's try this again, Granite. Use Take Down, now!"

Upon getting back to its feet, Rhydon charged forward with the intent to finish the battle. Richie smiled confidently as sweat continued to build on his skin. _There's no way Flareon's going to be able to dodge this in time!_

Phibrizzo, however, saw the glint in Flareon's eyes. "Go for it, Flareon! _Flame Wheel!_"

As it pushed itself up and let out a determined cry, the air around Flareon became a raging inferno, nearly shielding it from sight. Pushing itself up, it catapulted forward and met Granite's charge head-on---literally.

Although it was able to take temperatures of volcanic proportions, this was too much for even Rhydon to handle; the giant rock-type found itself forcibly thrown back against the dirt, its entire front scorched black from Flareon's assault. The dislodged rocks were just beginning to settle when it struggled back to its feet, seething and preparing itself to attack again.

Richie and Sparky wasn't sure how much more heat they could take; where the temperature had started out in the upper sixties, it now felt like more than a hundred from where they were standing. Thinking quickly, Richie decided on how to end this battle. "Granite, Earthquake!"

Roaring, Rhydon started stomping the ground repeatedly and caused it to shake violently.

"Get to safety, Flareon!" Phibrizzo ordered. "Blaze Away!"

Once again, Flareon's dirt-directed Flamethrower propelled it out of the Earthquake's reach. This time, Richie was ready. "Hyper Beam!"

A mass of yellow light took form between Rhydon's teeth.

"It's now or never!" Phibrizzo cried. "_Flamethrower!_"

As both attacks were fired, the same thought was running through everyone's heads: _This battle's going to end BIG!_

-------

"So," Curtis asked as the computer opponent's team dunked the ball, "how's it going out there?"

"That fuzzball's heat is making things miserable outside, and you're asking how it's going out there," Inuyasha said, snide. "It's Flamethrower against Hyper Beam in mid-air."

Curtis paused the game. "And?"

"What do you want me to be---one of those 'sports commentators'?" Inuyasha asked grumpily. "Just turn around and watch!"

Sighing, Curtis set down the controller and turned to face what was becoming a heated conclusion.

------

In most cases, Hyper Beam would've easily overwhelmed Flamethrower. With Furnace supercharging it, though, Flareon's attack would not be denied. After a brief mid-air struggle, the Flamethrower overwhelmed Rhydon's Hyper Beam and blasted against the pseudo-rhino's thick hide.

Flareon kept up the attack for about seven more seconds before dropping to the ground, exhausted. Some trace amounts of heat escaped the fire-type's body, hissing as Flareon's flame sac began to cool; the golden mane around his neck began to settle a little, seeming to shine in the sunlight. Willing its muscles to obey, Flareon pushed itself to its feet and faced its opponent.

Rhydon's entire body looked scorched and blackened. For a few moments it looked as if it still had some fight left in it regardless, but the Pokémon coughed out a few clouds of smoke before collapsing to the ground with a **thud**.

Phibrizzo nearly fell to his knees out of relief, but straightened before he could. Nearly delirious, he scampered over to Flareon before it could fall over. Absorbing some of the leftover heat in the air to speed the cooldown, Phibrizzo sat down and held the Pokémon in his arms. "Well, Sunburst," he admitted, looking gleeful, "I guess you knew what you were talking about this whole time."

Richie's mouth hung open.

"Your jaw's not _that_ heavy," Phibrizzo said, looking up. "And that battle was _not_ that unbelievable."

Richie's mouth finally shut, but only for a moment as he recalled Granite back to its Poké Ball and put it away. "You did the best you could, Granite. Take a rest." He returned Phibrizzo's look, tugging at a sleeve absently; the intense heat and perspiration had plastered his shirt against his body. "Okay, I'm _definitely_ impressed."

Phibrizzo shrugged. "I'm more impressed with how far he's gotten in only a month. He wasn't able to stay heated up that long when he first did that. He's pretty worn out now."

"You mean there's a disadvantage to the move?"

As Phibrizzo explained the cons of the self-powerup, Sparky walked up to Flareon and poked it a few times just to make sure the extra heat was gone. "You betcha. Sure, Furnace makes him hot to the touch and gives his fire attacks a major boost---and makes his fur look glossy---but it also wears away at him. He steadily loses energy the longer he stays like that; problem is, he can only expel the excess heat by releasing it all at once. I want to see if I can make Furnace usable without any adverse effects, but so far it's not very promising."

"You did a good job training him, Phibrizzo," Richie said. "That's all there is to it. You know what you're working with now."

"True, at that. I'm not working with much, but at least I know where he still needs to improve." Phibrizzo stood up, holding Flareon protectively in his arms. "Anyway, let's get back to the lab so he can rest. Now, what were you asking me earlier?"

Richie thought back. "It was about Sabrina."

There were a few loud bangs from off in the distance; Phibrizzo ignored them for the moment. "Oh, right. I remember now---"

_"Phibrizzo, watch out!_" Inuyasha suddenly snapped.

Taking a quick look around, Phibrizzo spotted several large objects coming in. Confused, he asked: "Are those...bombs?"

Richie and Sparky saw them next and backpedalled several feet. "Come on, quick! Get moving!"

"I have a better idea," Phibrizzo warned, turning to face the incoming projectiles. "Grab hold, and don't ask questions!"

Waiting until he felt a hand and a paw latch on to him, Phibrizzo teleported to the opposite side of the field. The bombs hit the general area he'd been in, releasing a cloud of thick black smoke.

Smiling, Phibrizzo tried to discern where the bombs had come from. He couldn't tell exactly where, since there seemed to be nothing around them for at least a mile, but he had his ways of drawing out his enemies. "Guys? You okay?"

Sparky and a weakened Flareon answered affirmatively. Richie let go, a bit disoriented but able to refocus. "That was a major rush," he mumbled.

"Richie," Phibrizzo uttered, "do me a favor. Take Flareon and get back to Professor Oak's lab. I'm not about to risk him in a battle when his energy's so low."

Richie nodded, taking Flareon out of his arms and placing it in his own. "You'll be alright out here?"

"Sunburst's not the only one who needs to improve," Phibrizzo explained, turning his back to him; the English lettering on his shirt seemed to stand out in the sunlight. "If I don't win here, I can't do the same. I'll be back in time for that coffee. _Go!_"

Accepting that even someone like Phibrizzo knew the importance of protection, Richie and Sparky turned tail and hurried back to Pallet Town as quickly as he could. Waiting until the trainer was out of harm's way, the half-mazoku turned to face where the bombs had came from and yelled:

_"Hey, losers! Where you aiming for **me?** That's weak! Whatever your eye doctor suggested, it ain't good enough!"_

Sure enough, another set of bombs---accompanied by a sphere that expanded into a full-size net---responded to his taunt. Laughing as he spotted where the attack had come from, Phibrizzo broke into a full-speed run and shot ahead of the projectiles...

He almost didn't see the blue blob whistling through the air towards him. He sidestepped it and continued on, but the blob suddenly detonated in mid-air, sending what seemed to be slime in all the directions. Some of it caught on his foot, causing him to stumble and fall.

"What in the world _is_ that stuff?" Inuyasha asked disbelievingly, not sure he wanted to know.

"Beats me," Curtis responded, looking as if breakfast didn't agree with him. "Kind of reminds me of bubble gum."

"If that looks like bubble gum," Inuyasha growled, shaking his head, "then remind me not to try any candy anytime soon."

"You and me both."

Grumbling, Phibrizzo pulled his face free of the dirt and looked down at his foot. Some of the bright blue slime had somehow adhered his right foot to the ground. "Great," he complained, "like I needed this on top of everything else."

"It'll get a lot worse before it's done," someone shouted. "Just turn yourself in to Team Rocket!"

Inuyasha frowned. "Those Team Rocket jerks sure don't know when to quit, do they?"

"You know," Curtis mused as several _really_ wide motorcycles rolled out of hiding, "there's an expression I heard recently that applies to them: 'Winners never quit, and quitters never win...but those who never win and never quit are idiots.'"

Phibrizzo yanked his foot as hard as he could, finally pulling his shoe free of the slime after several tries. Not wanting to step in it, he moved a few paces away. _Can't argue with that._

By this time, the 'cycles had gotten close enough to see who was driving them. All of them nearly slapped their foreheads in disgust when they realized that it was Stan and Ollie. "Took you long enough to bring out the bigger stuff," Phibrizzo shouted at them. "Just keep in mind that bigger isn't always better!"

"Or _wider_, as the case may be," Curtis murmured, remembering a car commercial he'd seen once.

_Whatever. You're sure an authority on that, doughnut guts!_

Wince. "That's new."

"I don't recall asking for your opinion on the subject," Stan was saying. "This is your last chance to come with us willingly and meet the boss!"

Phibrizzo pulled down an eyelid and made a face. Afterwards, he replied hotly: "If the boss wants me so bad, he can come get me himself instead of sending out his personal goon squads! Since you guys think you're so bad, I'd hate to see who you call the worst!"

Curtis laughed. "Nice!"

Inuyasha shrugged and smiled. "Whatever ticks them off..."

Phibrizzo just chortled. Stan and Ollie weren't as amused. "Saying that to one of Team Rocket's _best_ teams is simply asking for trouble," Ollie answered, pressing a few buttons on his motorcycle's dashboard. Twin cannons pulled into place. "Get over here, _now!_" he shouted as three objects were sent airborne with a **boom**.

Phibrizzo sneered at this. "Don't you have any _other_ tricks up your sleeve?" he shouted, dodging the first of the projectiles: a giant net. "Really, you tried that _last_ week!"

The second projectile exploded in mid-air and released the smoke that they'd seen earlier. "Okay," Phibrizzo said, taking his tennis racquet out of subspace and waving away the smoke the best he could. "A trifle annoying, but still..."

There was a loud **pop**, one that the trio knew too well; a shower of blue slime materialized in the smoke and caught Phibrizzo's mid-section, ensnaring his body from the stomach on down in a thick, taffy-like mucilage. "Hey---!" he protested, attempting to move his feet but failing.

"You're not leaving us this time," Stan said, pushing a button on his 'cycle. "Special delivery!"

Another large net, this one flying straight and true, caught Phibrizzo in its mesh; the breeze in its wake blew most of the remaining smoke away. The half-mazoku's eyes narrowed as his arms began to heat up. "Just keep pushing me, you fools!"

There was a ten-second pause as Phibrizzo attempted to burn his way through the net; unlike the first net they'd faced, this one was made of sterner stuff, refusing to give way. Not succeeding on the 'burn' route, he simply teleported out of the net; this didn't solve the problem caused by the adhesive, though. "Ugghhh," he complained, still unable to move his legs. "Mom's going to have a conniption when she finds out about this! This stuff's not going to come out!"

Stan gazed at the scene thoughtfully. "Well," he suggested, "maybe you could toss them in the washing machine back at Headquarters. We use some of the best detergent in Kanto."

"Stan," Ollie grumbled, "we're not supposed to be helpful right now."

"Oh. Bad timing, then?"

Ollie nodded. "Bad timing."

Phibrizzo sweatdropped, pausing for a moment to put his racquet away. "You guys are weird. I'm struggling to break free from this stuff, and here you are giving me cleaning tips."

"Hey, I'm just saying," Stan said defensively. "Anyway...back to being mean. Let's see you get out of this!" He pounded his motorcycle's 'launch' button and fired a large gray orb from the 'cycle's cannon.

The orb detonated on contact with Phibrizzo, expelling a cloud of sky-blue gas. "Okay, I'll bite. What is it?" he asked, a trifle curious.

"That's our knockout gas," Ollie said, smirking. "One whiff of that will put you out for four hours. That's more than enough time to get you back to Headquarters."

Phibrizzo sighed. Those morons obviously didn't get it. "I hate to break it to you guys, but I don't have any real need to breathe."

"That's impossible!" Stan objected. "_Everyone_ needs to breathe to live!"

"Well," Phibrizzo said, smiling, "I don't. I'm standing here talking to you, am I?"

"I don't get it," Ollie muttered. "I don't believe that he doesn't need to breathe. He must be immune to the gas somehow."

"Forget it," Stan murmured back as a sudden breeze blew the knockout gas away. "That adhesive's strong, but it doesn't last very long. It'll crumble if it's exposed to air long enough."

"It never took us this long to capture something after using it," Ollie said, concerned, "so I never gave it much thought. What's next?"

Phibrizzo was giving it thought, however; after a little struggling, he found that he could move around again despite the gummy material. "I've got to decommission those machines," he murmured. He stretched out his arms and grabbed the handlebars of Stan's 'cycle, then yanked himself forward and startled the man out of his seat. "Think that was sticky? You've haven't seen anything yet! _Pull!_" he shouted, using the Gum Gum Bazooka to blow the 'cycle away and firing off a quick Dark Harsh while the thing was still careening across the grass. The beam cut right through the massive motorcycle, detonating it and reducing it to a smouldering wreck.

Stan scrambled over to Ollie's 'cycle, trying to hide next to it and gibbering incoherently. Ollie shook his head and turned to Phibrizzo, whose knees were wobbling. "That fire attack wasn't very smart," the round man told him. "A child could tell me that you're running low on power."

"I don't see any children around here, do you?" Phibrizzo growled defiantly. He cupped his hands and started to gather his energy. "Step away from that machine! I still have enough in me to turn it to dust!"

Ollie shook his head, then reached inside his vest pocket and pulled out an Ultra Ball. "Phibby, Phibby, Phibby...you have no idea how much the boss _really_ wants you. Why do you think he's letting us go to these lengths? You have too much potential to waste." He expanded the Ultra Ball to full-size and activated it.

A tremendous mass of red light erupted in front of Phibrizzo and took shape, gradually forming one of the strongest Pokémon available to trainers. A blaring roar shook the field as Tyranitar made its entrance; as the creature repeatedly slapped the ground with its tail, a fierce wind picked up and created a nasty sandstorm. Stan and Ollie took cover behind the remaining motorcycle.

"Figures," Phibrizzo groaned, re-absorbing the power he'd gathered. "Well, at least it isn't a dragon-type."

Inside his chamber, Inuyasha tapped the Tetsusaiga's handle. "Let me know when it's my turn, alright?"

"Just let Phibrizzo handle this," Curtis said over the speaker. "It's his fight, not ours. Besides, the creature isn't evil or mindless...just misguided."

_Right now, that's the least of my worries. I'm taking this thing down, and that's that! Now, does this thing have any weaknesses I---_

"Tyranitar, capture him!" Ollie ordered. "Screech Attack!"

"Screech _this_." Phibrizzo stretched his arms and caught Tyranitar's mouth before it could open. "You aren't making any noise like that!" _Anyways, does it have any weaknesses?_

"Just use any attacks you have that don't require fire," Curtis said. "That's all we can do by now."

Phibrizzo strained, trying to keep the giant Pokémon's mouth closed. _Here's hoping!_

----------

"We have to get him to waste more power," Stan hissed to Ollie, barely heard over the sandstorm. "He'll be too hard to capture otherwise!"

"Good. If Tyranitar can get its mouth open..." Ollie muttered, getting an idea. He shouted: "Ice Beam Attack!"

Trying one more time and breaking Phibrizzo's grip, Tyranitar assaulted his target with a massive bluish-white streak of ice. Phibrizzo quickly side-stepped the attack and got in close to the rock lizard, his arms flying like rubber bands. "_Gum Gum Gatling Gun!_" he shouted, unleashing a volley of punches that even a high-level Hitmonchan would be hard-pressed to match.

Getting annoyed with Phibrizzo's persistence, Tyranitar reached down to bring his Crunch attack to bear. Remembering the danger he was in, Phibrizzo stopped his attack and dodged to the side. The attack missed by a wide margin, although his view was temporarily hindered by the dirt that was dislodged. Taking advantage of this, Tyranitar spun around and smacked Phibrizzo with an Iron Tail, knocking him sprawling across the field.

Due to his unique constitution, Phibrizzo was only mildly harmed by the attack. He was, however, starting to lose his temper. "I'm _really_ starting to hate you guys," he snapped as he got up. "That's it. I'm going to show you just how low you guys are compared to me. Hey, lizard!" he shouted at Tyranitar. "Free shot, right here. An attack of your choice. Can't get much---huh?"

Abruptly, Phibrizzo's anger seemed to vanish. For several moments, he just stared blankly at Tyranitar, lost in thought. Finally, before Ollie could get impatient and order another attack, the kid spoke: "So _that's_ how it is, huh? You're trying to get to make a stupid mistake, aren't you?"

Stan and Ollie didn't say anything, instead just glaring at him.

"Oh, that is _it_," Phibrizzo growled. "You ambush me, get that ugly blue stuff on my pants, insult my intelligence...then you have the nerve to call me 'Phibby'---"

"We called you Phibby, 'then' we insulted your intelligence," Stan said.

"Oh. My mistake. Well, it still isn't right."

"Of _course_ it isn't right," Ollie remarked. "We're from Team Rocket. And with your energy drained, there isn't any way you're getting out of this one."

-------

_I hate to admit it, but the man's right,_ Phibrizzo groused mentally. _I have enough in me to destroy the other cycle, but then Tyranitar would capture me easily. I can't waste a Dark Harsh on him, because then **they'd** capture me easily...and I can't get close enough to waste him without him using one of his myriad attacks on me. I'm sure not going to just teleport out, either. What's left?_

Curtis tapped his chin for a moment, then opened his mouth to speak...then closed it without saying anything. Phibrizzo could tell that he wanted to say something, but didn't. _Curtis...what are you thinking?_

"Does it have anything to do with the 'Plan Zero' we went over on Thursday?" Inuyasha asked, entering Curtis's chamber. "Because if it is, I feel sorry for them."

'_Plan Zero'?_ Phibrizzo asked, confused.

"Well..."

_Just explain it, Curtis._

"...Oh, alright. Thursday afternoon when we went up to that vending machine..."

**(Cue flashback)**

Curtis, who had gotten permission from Phibrizzo to gain control for a little while, walked up to a vending machine. Depositing a few yen coins, he shut his eyes and made a random selection. Hearing a 'clang' as the beverage rolled into the tray, Curtis took the drink, checked around to see if anyone was paying attention and placed the can in subspace for a later time.

**(End flashback)**

"...and that was that," Curtis finished.

_You actually bought a sugar drink?_ Phibrizzo asked disbelievingly. _Don't you remember what happened when I first tried fruit punch? I almost went stir-crazy!_

"That's Plan Zero," Curtis said. "'Go stir-crazy'. And in your case, what better way to do that than by inducing a sugar rush?"

_Well...suppose something bad happens!_

"Like what?" Inuyasha asked.

_Beats me. Let's do this._

Phibrizzo checked subspace, nodded, then pulled out a can of lemonade and opened it. Preparing himself, he opened his mouth and gulped down the can's contents...

The walls and ceiling in Curtis's chamber began glowing a bright green. Quickly taking the time to check a nearby monitor, he saw that Phibrizzo's energy level---indicated by a rising blue line---was increasing. It started out at 'Moderate', went up to 'Highest Safe Level', past 'Maximum' and 'She Can't Take Much More, Captain', and shot all the way up to **'Whoa, Nellie!'**.

Curtis grinned. "I gotta get some of that stuff," he whispered.

Inuyasha turned to him. "Huh?"

"Nothing important. Sorry."

---------

Stan and Ollie weren't sure what to think. After listing what they'd done to him, Phibrizzo fell silent and adopted a contemplative expression. It changed to disbelief, then resignation. Ollie thought at first that he was going to give up, but then the kid took out a can of lemonade out of his pocket and started drinking from it.

"I don't get it," Ollie said. "Why's he drinking something _now_, of all times?"

Stan shrugged. "He's thirsty?"

"People don't look resigned over a can of lemonade. It's just not normal."

Phibrizzo finished drinking...and suddenly straightened. Struggling mightily against an unseen force, he managed to place the empty can back in his pocket. His pupils shrunk until the irises remained. His hands seemed to twitch uncontrollably. A broad, unnatural grin split his face. **"Sweetness..."** he strained to say.

"I've got a _really_ bad feeling about this," Ollie mumbled. "Tyranitar, Ice Beam!"

Tyranitar roared, firing an Ice Beam straight at Phibrizzo. The kid made no move to dodge, and was immediately flash-frozen; but no sooner had this happened than the ice began to melt, either evaporating against his skin or sliding into a small puddle on the ground.

Phibrizzo repeatedly tapped the ground with his feet, starting to lose it; he gave no sign that he even noticed Tyranitar's attack. **"Sweet-sweet-sweet! So...glorious! Sweetness...in a can!"**

"This," Stan deadpanned, "is not going to be pretty."

He had no idea how right he was.

**(BGM --- Super Sonic BGM, from 'Sonic the Hedgehog 2')**

Phibrizzo suddenly rocketed forward, a purple blaze of hyperactivity. There was a brief flash of light as he zipped by Tyranitar; the rock lizard jerked its head, as if stunned. Cackling, Phibrizzo spun around and repeated the motion; this time, Tyranitar rocked to the side a little. Angrily, he released an alarmingly-loud Screech into the air. All Phibrizzo did was shake his head to clear out the sound as he made another pass.

Just a little, Phibrizzo slowed down; this time, his opponent was able to see his actions clearly. Without hesitation, Tyranitar zeroed in on him and Aerial Aced him across the field. He then chased after him, hoping to pin him down.

He never got the chance. Still looking like something out of a horror novel, Phibrizzo got back to his feet and attacked with another flurry of elongated punches, unconsciously using his fire abilities for added effect. He kept this up for a good thirty seconds without letup. Tyranitar was starting to wonder what it took to keep him down; losing to a human simply would look ridiculous to anyone who found out. As it was, he could feel his own stamina starting to give way!

Phibrizzo finally stopped and took a few steps back, finally beginning to look as if he was running low on steam. Briefly, Stan and Ollie wondered if that was it.

It wasn't. Still grinning, Phibrizzo twisted his arms repeatedly, stretched out and snagged Tyranitar's arms. Without warning, the rock lizard found itself spun in mid-air as Phibrizzo's arms uncoiled, lifting it several meters and then smashing it back into the ground. Not stopping there, he stretched his arms back as far as he could, snapped them back and slammed his hands into Tyranitar; this was the same move he'd used on Stan's cycle. The Pokémon bounced back across the field, narrowing missing Ollie's cycle and fainting when it finally came to rest. The sandstorm that had flared up slowly stopped.

Phibrizzo started to take a few more steps forward, but then suddenly stopped and hurled a massive black fire beam into the atmosphere. The boy's features rapidly returned to normal, and the beam slowly dissolved into nothing. Dropping his hands back to his sides, he turned to face the cowering duo. "See what you guys made me do?" he asked, sounding a bit tired. "That was a last resort kind of thing. You really didn't leave me much of a choice."

Ollie shrunk back from Phibrizzo's tired, icy expression. Stan had something else on his mind. "You want double the usual amount this time?"

"I don't care about that right now," Phibrizzo grumbled. "Where's Team Rocket's main HQ?"

"We aren't at liberty to tell you," Ollie said indignantly. "For all we know, you'd try to destroy the place."

"You want to leave this place with your freedom?" Phibrizzo growled. "Either you tell me now and I let you go scot-free, or I thrash you and find the place myself."

"Why do you want to know where the HQ is?" Stan inquired cautiously. "You've already said that you're not interested in joining..."

Phibrizzo gave a tired smile. "Simple. I'm taking you up on your offer."

------

In the end, Stan and Ollie insisted on not telling him where HQ was; it had more to do with their reputation than anything else. Sure enough, Phibrizzo---worn out from the sugar rush---knocked them aside with a Gum Gum Whip. Listening to Curtis, he allowed him to take over and get a closer look at the giant motorcycle's onboard computer. After fiddling with stuff for a bit---and accidentally firing off the rest of the 'cycle's special ammunition---Curtis was able to bring up a map of Kanto's western half. A black circle with a red 'R' inscribed on it stood out, resting in an area of Kanto that trainers never explored.

Just a few minor things to take care of before they went over there.

------

"Hey. Welcome back, Phibrizzo," Tracey said, greeting him as he returned to Oak's laboratory. "You---wow, what happened?"

"Got a bunch of slime on my pants," Phibrizzo groused as he re-entered the building. "No thanks to Team Rocket. Where's Richie and Flareon?"

"Flareon's resting in the living room," Tracey told him. "It's a little worn out from the battle you had with Richie, but it'll be okay. Speaking of Richie, Professor Oak asked him to deliver something to one of the residents here. He should be back soon."

"That's good," Phibrizzo said, the words not quite matching his expression. "There's something I need to take care of, so I'll grab some coffee and get out of here. I'll try to be back in about an hour and a half or so, so I'll grab some lunch when I return. Keep an eye on Sunburst until then. Okay?"

"Alright, I can do that. I like the name you chose for him, by the way."

Phibrizzo's expression lightened a little. "Thanks. I think he likes it, too."

Tracey nodded, following him into the kitchen and watching as he poured himself a cup. "So, what is it you're going to be doing?"

Phibrizzo sipped some coffee and smiled mirthlessly. "I'm going to send Team Rocket's boss a little message."

-------

Time: Fifteen minutes later

After Phibrizzo left Oak's lab, Inuyasha took over the reins. Following Curtis's instructions based on the map he'd seen, he bolted back to Viridian City and headed for a spot some miles northeast. Due to the virtually impassable terrain, trainers---indeed, most people---never went out this way...however, there was some who did.

After bounding through a thick forest and steep hills, Inuyasha came across a tower built within a small valley. The red 'R' painted on one side of a truck gave the owners' identity away. Smiling, Inuyasha returned control to Phibrizzo.

Phibrizzo circled around until he spotted a back door; unlike the rest of the property, there didn't seem to be as many grunts circling around. Laying one hand on the door and focusing some heat through it, he melted the door and strolled on through.

Phibrizzo was a bit surprised at the lack of security; he had no way of knowing this, but the majority of the grunts and agents were at lunch. The only ones on patrol were controlling various packs of Houndour, and he was able to defeat them without much of a problem. Caught off-guard by Phibrizzo's skill, it took a few minutes for one of the grunts to set off the alarm. By that time, of course, the half-mazoku was gone.

After a few minutes of walking, he came across a map posted on a wall. Examining the map until he was positive where his destination was, he dashed down several hallways---taking down anyone he came across---until he reached where he wanted to go.

The four people assigned to the laundry room were surprised when Phibrizzo walked in, to say the least. They were even more surprised when he grabbed them and tossed them out the door as if they were nothing more than debris. They tried to get back in, but Phibrizzo merely hung a sign on the door that said: "Do not disturb if you know what's good for you". After unplugging a washer and dryer---not caring whether they were in use or not---and pushing them over to the door, he browsed the shelves until he found what he was looking for.

_Now here's hoping that Team Rocket's laundry detergent really works that well,_ Phibrizzo thought as Curtis told him how to start up one of the washing machines.

---------

"Intruder on the first floor!" someone shouted in the cafeteria. "I repeat, intruder on the first floor!"

Domino, who had just gotten back from a recent assignment and was enjoying her lunch break, immediately jumped out of her seat and dashed over to the grunt who'd sounded the alarm. "Where's the intruder?"

"Down in the east hallway," the grunt said. "Be careful; whoever this person is, he's good! None of the Hondour teams could even faze him; he marched on through like they were nothing!"

_Not good._ "This won't take long. Take two grunts and follow me. I'll capture the intruder myself, but be ready if he gets by me!"

After the group got together, they quickly raced over to the east hallway...and stopped when they came across a group of grunts, including a few who wore janitor's uniforms, gathered around a locked door. "What's going on?" Domino asked.

"A kid threw us out and won't let us back in," one of the janitors complained. "We tried to get in, but he hung a sign on the door and barricaded us out."

"A _kid?_" Domino exclaimed. _It better not be who I think it is! How'd he find Team Rocket's main base?_ "Stand aside!"

They did so. Domino marched over and pounded on the door. "Whoever it is in there, get out of there!"

No response other than the sound of running water.

Frowning, Domino read the sign that had been hung. "'Do not disturb', my foot," she said, grimacing. "Did any of you see the intruder?"

Another of the janitors nodded. "The kid was about a meter tall, had black hair that reflected the lights, wore a fireball T-shirt and a couple bracelets, and had some sort of blue slime on his pants. He didn't look like he had any Pokémon with him."

"It's _one_ bracelet, for crying out loud! I broke the thing on accident!" Phibrizzo's voice snapped, sounding insulted.

_So Stan and Ollie were unsuccessful? Figures that even that adhesive they developed wouldn't keep him down._ Domino pounded on the door again. "Phibrizzo Kaden, you get out of that room, or so help me I'll make you spend the rest of your life in there!"

Several of the grunts recognized the name and started talking amongst themselves. After a moment's pause, Phibrizzo responded: "Do you have problems reading English? Don't bother me!"

Irritated, Domino brought out Machamp's Poké Ball. "Do you want me to bust that door down? Let us in!"

"I'm trying to get this blue crud off my jeans, and your banshee voice isn't helping any!" Phibrizzo yelled back, just as annoyed.

Domino ignored the insult for the moment. "What do you mean, 'trying to get that blue crud off'? Did you have a rough time against Stan and Ollie, kiddo?"

"_Obviously!_" Phibrizzo griped loudly. "Stan told me that if I wanted to get the stuff out, I should use some of the laundry detergent you guys have here."

Domino blinked. "Um...so..."

"I barricaded the door for a _reason_, okay? Think about it!"

After a few moment's thought, Domino came to the right conclusion. Sighing in disbelief, she flung her hands in the air. "Alright, fine. We'll leave you alone. But when you get done, get out of here and don't come back! You're more of a hassle than you're worth!"

"Have your boss quit sending people after me so I can prepare for that rematch in _peace_," Phibrizzo stated, emphasizing that last word, "and I'll see what I can do."

Domino angrily put Machamp's Poké Ball away and trudged off. One of the grunts called after her. "009? What should we do?"

"Whatever you were doing before," Domino stated, stopping. "The janitors will just have to start their cleaning assignments early today. There's nothing we can do here for now."

"But the kid---"

"Forget the kid," Domino said. "If I know him, he's just going to make our lives miserable if we try to get him out. Besides, I have a pretty good idea why he doesn't want anyone walking in on him. Just leave him be and he'll go away on his own. We'll straighten things out in there later."

"He's the one wanted by the boss, right?" another grunt asked.

"Why, I can't imagine," Domino muttered. "He's just a big pain in the neck."

"Who---me, or the boss?" Phibrizzo called out tauntingly.

"You want to be left alone or not?" Domino asked testily.

Phibrizzo almost managed to sound sheepish. "I'll be good."

Domino smiled and walked away. "That's better."

Despite the questioning looks everyone threw one another, they knew better than to argue with one of Giovanni's best agents. The group gradually dispersed.

----------

Time: Three and a half hours later

Two figures---barely recognizable in the blue slime and nets that pinned them to the ground---finally came to; the knockout gas that Curtis accidentally launched at them had finally worn off. Stan saw a Growlithe standing guard over them, and heard several people talking to each other. Turning his head a fraction, he recognized the blue and green uniforms they wore.

The Viridian City police.

As Stan sniveled and sobbed loudly, Ollie glared at him out the corners of his eyes. "Well, Stan," he said disgustedly, "here's another nice mess you've gotten me into!"

-------------

_Chapter Fourteen completed. Chapter Fifteen soon to commence_

Author's Notes

This was a lot more fun for me to write than the previous chapter, for obvious reasons. This is more along my style of writing.

In the original games, Flareon _was_ capable of learning Reflect via TM; I don't know why that ability was removed in later games. Flame Wheel isn't on Flareon's move list; Sunburst, though, is capable of using it if he supercharges himself with the _Furnace_ move first.

Speaking of Flareon, I was watching an episode of _Pokémon: Advanced Challenge_ and found out that Flareon's mane was typically a golden color; the sprite in the newer games is the same, but at a brighter hue. Previously I'd assumed that it was white...oh, well.

You'll recognize the last names of Stan and Ollie: Laurel and Hardy. The chapter's closing statement was probably a giveaway. If you're curious, the T.R. duo got hold of the original comedy team's films, liked what they saw, and decided to emulate their behavior to some degree.

If you've been paying attention, you might've noticed that I've borrowed a few elements from the _Megas XLR_ cartoon, such as the rant (which I've used a few times previously) and the 'power display' monitor. Heh, heh. I was kind of in a playful mood earlier, so sorry if it seems out of place.

As implied in previous chapters, anything that Phibrizzo drinks goes straight to his energy. Drinks with a high sugar content, such as lemonade or soda pop, have the greatest effect. It's the side effect that he has to be careful of, though.

This chapter's out of the way; hope this makes up for the lag between chapters twelve and thirteen. Let's move on.


	27. Chapter Fifteen

WHAT INSERTION?

by Curtis Wildcat

_Chapter Fifteen ---- Elaboration, Communication, and Recreation_

----------

**(Cue theme)**

----------

Time: March 29, 1996; 4:05p.m.

Location: The Cat Cafe

A loud _snap-hiss_ signalled Phibrizzo's arrival within the Nekohanten. If it were anywhere else but Nerima, people would've rubbed their eyes and wondered if they'd eaten something bad; as it was, no one so much as twitched.

Shampoo was the first to greet him, as usual. "Small boy! Same as last time?"

"Yeah," Phibrizzo said, sitting down at the first available table. "Same as last time, Psycho Amazon."

Shampoo frowned and brought herself down to eye level. "Name is Shampoo. Not Freaky Kitty, not Hyper Rodent, not Psycho Amazon. It _Shampoo_."

Phibrizzo glared at her. "Name is Phibrizzo," he answered in the same tone. "Not 'Small Boy'. _Phibrizzo._ Phi-bri-zzo Ka-den. I've been going here for two months, and you still haven't got it right."

Shampoo stood up. "Can't help if Phibizzo hard to say..."

"Never mind. Can you just get my order?" Phibrizzo muttered, annoyed. "And tell Elder Cologne I said hi."

Shampoo nodded, turned and exited the dining area. Phibrizzo, meanwhile, rested his chin on his arms. _I know Japanese isn't her first language, but come on. She ought to have learned how to pronounce my name by now._

"She has," Inuyasha said. "She's probably saying it like that just to tick you off."

"That was Japanese?" Curtis asked. "I thought that was English."

Inuyasha closed his eyes as he entered Curtis's chamber. "You forgot again, didn't you?" he asked. "As long as you're here, everything you hear out there is translated to your own language...'dubbed', I think you called it. Remember?"

"Sorry about that," Curtis answered him, sweatdropping. "When I wake up, I don't remember everything that goes on here. I tend to lose some of the details. By the way..." Curtis caused another bottle of 'Gatorade' to appear on his chair's cup-holder. "You mentioned before that Ranma sounds a lot like you, right? Just clearing that up."

"Yeah. That's right."

"Weird. You don't sound the same...not really."

"The way we talk's the same, though," Inuyasha said. He shook his head. "Man, why does this have to be so confusing?"

"Life usually is." Curtis opened up the 'Gatorade' and took a sip. "Case in point: Nerima."

_Don't even get me started about Nerima._ Phibrizzo looked on, amused, as Mousse entered the Nekohanten---either back from a delivery or from taking on Ranma for some alleged reason (_probably the former; he doesn't look beat up,_ Phibrizzo thought). He waved at him. "Hey, Mousse. Over here!"

Mousse looked around, then focused on an empty chair. "Is that you, Phibrizzo?"

"Over here," Phibrizzo said. "Come on, keep your glasses on for a moment...there, that's more like it. Yeah, I'm over here. How're things going?"

"About the same," the near-blind Amazon confirmed, this time facing the right way. "Same old fights, same old accusations, same old drawn-out speeches..."

"Let's see..." Phibrizzo started counting off on his fingers. "Ryoga chose to pick a fight with Ranma instead of finding something more _constructive_ to do with his time...he accused Ranma of cheating on Akane when he knew _zilch_ about the situation...Tatewaki Kuno showed up and started rattling off random poetry that didn't relate to said situation...am I missing anything?"

"You're spooky when you get like that," Mousse said. "Yes, that's pretty much how things have been. That crossdresser who keeps bugging Ukyo Kuonji showed up again, but other than that it's been about the same."

Phibrizzo shook his head. "Ugh. You ever hear the expression 'love is blind', Mousse? No offense..."

"None taken."

"Thanks. Well, I'm starting to think that about some of the conflicts here."

Mousse chuckled. "How would you know that? You've probably never experienced it yourself."

"Experienced what?"

"Love."

"I'm sure your intentions are good, Mousse," Phibrizzo growled, "but if 'love' means being bashed by a bonborri or poisoned by a crackpot florist...I'd much rather eat Principal Kuno's pineapple bombs."

Mousse started to head towards the Nekohanten's kitchen, but paused. "Then why do you come here, if you don't like romance?"

Phibrizzo shrugged. "I like the food." As if on cue, a carton of ramen flew out of the kitchen; Phibrizzo stretched his arm and snagged it before it hit the floor. "Besides, I'm a kid. Why would I be interested in forming attachments with anyone?"

Mousse continued towards the kitchen. "True."

As Phibrizzo started eating, his thoughts began wandering. He hadn't let this on, but the Amazon's comment about him not having experienced love had struck a nerve inside him.

He lowered the chopsticks he was using, a faint jingling noise directing his gaze to his bracelets---two pieces of some unknown metal and a thin cord with several beads hanging from it. They'd once formed one bracelet, with the cord and beads adhered on the trinket's circumference; odd-looking, yes, but its previous owner had been quite fond of it for some reason.

Its previous owner...

"Want diet cola or not?" Shampoo's voice asked impatiently.

Phibrizzo shook himself out of his reverie and took the drink from Shampoo's hands. "Want diet cola, yes," he said mockingly. "Regular cola too, too sweet. Make small boy go hyper. Mass chaos and destruction everywhere---"

"No make fun of Shampoo," the Amazon interrupted warningly. "Shampoo not stupid, compared to others."

Phibrizzo sighed. "If I have things right, Shampoo, you're planning on becoming an elder in your home village someday, right?"

"Yes."

"As of now, I'm sure your major rivals don't think too highly of you. You look nice and you wield a mean mace---kind of makes me wish I had one---but you have all the social skills of a squirrel."

Shampoo's eyes seemed to flare at that comment. "Take that back!"

Curtis glared out the viewport. "Phibrizzo, could you be quiet and eat before you end up hurting yourself?"

Phibrizzo's frown deepened. "I may not be an expert on social behavior, but what you do in public is _illegal_ in most places, Akane's mallet-happy temperament notwithstanding," he said, ignoring Curtis.

Curtis sighed and walked away. "Inuyasha, could you do me a favor?" he asked as he exited the room.

Inuyasha knew what that meant, of course. Before Phibrizzo could continue, he leapt past Curtis's chair, unsheathed the Tetsusaiga, and slashed the floor with the Wind Scar.

As before, the lines of flaming energy faded into the ground; with a startled cry, Phibrizzo grabbed his head and shook it to and fro. "Ouuuucchh," he moaned as Shampoo looked on, a bit puzzled but not complaining. "Guys, what did you do that for?"

"Quit ticking off the Amazon," Inuyasha remarked, sheathing the Tetsusaiga. "It was either _us_ getting the message across, or..."

"Or what?" Phibrizzo snapped angrily, still clutching his head. "I'm sick of that girl not using my name!" As he spoke, Curtis entered Inuyasha's chamber and walked towards the buttons. "I'm sick of watching her act without caring what the other person's thinking, and I'm---"

Curtis pushed the "Switch" button and shoved Phibrizzo into the green, liquid pillar within Inuyasha's room. "That's quite enough, Phibrizzo," he said, taking his hands off his head. "If she won't listen to her rivals or Ranma, she sure ain't gonna listen to you. As much as I share your sentiments, being blunt won't help. Things are so messed up around here that no one's going to change their mind just because you get mad."

Shampoo blinked as she heard this, then recognized the change. "Um...round boy?"

Phibrizzo would've laughed if he wasn't focusing on his headache.

Curtis winced. "I guess I never did introduce myself back then, did I? I'm Curtis."

Shampoo smiled. "Curtis...much easier to say. Not too happy that small boy insulted Shampoo, though."

"You have a minute?" Curtis asked, slurping some of the diet soda. In the back of his head, Inuyasha returned to his own chamber, glanced at the distressed Phibrizzo, and sat down in his usual spot.

Shampoo looked around the store; no new customers had entered the Cat Cafe (yet), and everyone who was there were happily eating their own servings. She sat down at the table. "Free until Shampoo needed for deliveries. Why small boy insult and make fun of Shampoo?"

"It's his way of getting back at the world," Curtis said, after which he shovelled some ramen into his mouth. After he chewed and swallowed it, he continued. "Phibrizzo's kind of anti-social. He doesn't like people; if it were up to him, he'd stay in his room all day and think angry thoughts about the world in general. Don't feel bad if he insults you; he does the same to most people he meets."

Shampoo tilted her head just a little, a cat-like gesture that came from spending plenty of time as one. "If small boy hate people, why go to Nerima?"

"He likes the food," Curtis said. "Besides, there's always something happening here, even if it's just Kuno. Keeps him from getting bored."

Shampoo nodded, accepting that. "True, that."

Curtis sighed before drinking down some of the diet soda. "Sometimes I wish people around here would start thinking straight for more than a few minutes, though," he admitted. "Most of my time in school was spent dodging bullies and dealing with juvenille behavior. The situation's kind of comparable here: I'm used to it, but that doesn't mean I enjoy it." His eyes narrowed. "I'm half-tempted to put a stop to it."

"Why doesn't Curtis do that, then? Extra competition is nice," Shampoo stated. "Might liven things up."

"If I try anything with the Tendo agreement, Akane and Ryoga won't be the same," Curtis said, munching down some more ramen. "If I try anything with the Kuonji situation, _she_ won't be the same. If I try anything with your marriage claim, Mousse will make your life miserable while your village wrecks havoc with mine...one or the other. Last, if I try anything with Kodachi's claim, I'd go insane listening to her laugh. Besides, even borrowing Phibrizzo's abilities, I wouldn't last five minutes if anyone tried to fight me."

Shampoo smiled, amused. "Make lousy Amazon for sure, if not able to learn basics," she said. "_Really_ useless male."

"That's why I'm planning something else," Curtis said with a grin. "It won't solve anything, but at least it'll show where the problem lies. Are you familiar with soccer? It should be called 'football' around here."

Shampoo nodded. "Young Amazons learn sport early. Help build stamina for later training. Village watched world competition held two years before."

"Good, and that would be the 'World Cup'." Curtis motioned towards himself, and Shampoo edged forward a little. Curtis whispered something in her ear over the course of a minute.

--------

Location: Ucchan's Okonomiyaki

The phone rang. Ukyo reached over and answered it, half-busy at the grill. "Hello? This is 'Ucchan's"...Is that you, Shampoo? That's surprising. What do you want?...A football game, you said? Sounds neat, but I'm rather busy...oh, with _him_? How could I say 'no' to that? Count me in, sugar. When?...Great. I'll do it. Am I allowed to use my spatula?...Even better. Alright. Bye-bye."

--------

Location: Tendo residence

Time: 7:25p.m.

No one was surprised when Shampoo barged into the Tendos' home and dragged a protesting Genma outside, interrupting the shogi match between him and Soun. They weren't surprised when the Amazon launched him into the koi pond. They _were_ surprised, though, when Ukyo showed up and spatula-flipped the human-turned-panda back towards Shampoo; she, in turn, booted Genma back the other way. Getting in on the fun, Akane decided to join the impromptu game as well (Nabiki had gotten a call from Curtis, who said that something was going to happen at the dojo that evening; he hadn't implied what it was, only that she should tell Akane the news and suggest that she help out).

Finally, after one well-timed kick sent Genma (who had withstood the kicks pretty well) into the atmosphere, most of the audience sweatdropped after Nabiki leaned out the window and calmly held up a sign that read 'GOAL!' in Japanese and English.

When everyone dispersed, not much was solved. That hadn't been the goal of Curtis's suggestion, though: his intention had been for the girls to come to a mutual agreement...

...that Ranma's predicament was pretty much Genma's fault.

Sitting on the roof, Ranma just smiled. Any evening where people weren't chasing after him and beating him up needlessly was alright with him.

Inside the building, Soun starting crying about not being able to finish the game...then switched several pieces around in mid-sob.

-------------

Time: 40 minutes earlier

Location: Kaden residence

It had been another nice dinner, all things considered...although Phibrizzo had never eaten a meal quite like this before. He'd sampled most of the marine life that were sold in Tokyo, but he never thought he'd eat part of an octopus.

The telephone rang. After swallowing what he had, Marcus got up and answered it. "Hello? Kaden residence."

"Hi, Marcus!" Conan Edogawa's voice chirped. "Is Phibrizzo there?"

Marcus smiled, recognizing the youngster's voice. Phibrizzo seemed to like and respect the kid, but to date he'd only used his family name in addressing him. The foster parent had told Conan previously that just because his son didn't use his given name was no excuse for _him_ not to. "Yes, he is. Would you like to speak to him?"

Phibrizzo turned to the phone, swallowing that last of his dinner. He knew who it was, obviously.

"Sure. Thank you!" Conan said.

-------

Location: Moore Detective Agency

"Hello?" Phibrizzo's voice asked.

"Hi, Phibrizzo! Are you busy?" Conan answered.

Somewhere behind Conan, Serena Sebastian could be heard saying: "Phibrizzo is _such_ a weird name. What was his father thinking?"

Phibrizzo must have heard her say that. "I think that line graduated from 'annoying' to 'running joke'," he quipped. "Who was that?"

"A friend of Rachel's. Do you want to come over? I think today's material might've been a little tough for you..."

That was code for "Come on by so we can update each other on our respective pursuits". Helping Phibrizzo with his homework was just a cover.

"Sure. I'll be by as soon as I can."

-------------

Time: 7:10p.m.

It was at this time that Phibrizzo arrived at the agency, schoolbooks tucked beneath his arm. Just as he raised his hand to knock, the door opened and Rachel walked right into him in mid "good-bye, dad", knocking him over. Recovering quickly, he picked up his schoolbooks and stood up again. "Oh. Hey, cousin Rachel."

"Hi, Phibrizzo," Rachel said apologetically. "Sorry if I ran into you."

"You did, but no worries." Phibrizzo smiled reassuringly. "I've had wor---"

"Wow, this must be your little cousin you told me about," Serena remarked as she approached the door. "He looks cute for his age."

Phibrizzo's smile froze. One big disadvantage to looking like a kid was that people tended to fawn over you. "Um...hi."

Serena smiled, then turned to Rachel. "You know, Rachel, I could think of a few people that could learn from this kid."

"Learn from him?" Rachel inquired. "You've barely known him for ten seconds."

"At least he comes by on a regular basis," Serena said, "unlike someone _else_ we know. All he needs is a little haircut and a few extra years, and he'll start breaking hearts real quick."

Phibrizzo sweatdropped. "Okay. One: my hair's fine as it is. Two: my life's heartbreaking enough without me adding to it. I've had too many bad experiences with girls already." _The enemy of all who live comes to mind,_ he added silently.

From the office, Conan couldn't help but chuckle. "Too many kids have crushes on you? Like, say---"

Phibrizzo's face heated up in a heartbeat. "If you even _say_ 'Azusa', Edogawa..." he stated, leaving that sentence hang unfinished.

"Azusa Edogawa...that's a concept," Curtis said, chuckling. "I wonder what the klepto would call his bow-tie?"

"Hold on a second," Inuyasha spoke up. "Kids act like their parents, right? What would _their_ kids become?"

Rachel, Serena, and Conan looked on as Phibrizzo's expressions (and color) continuously changed. "Is there something wrong with him?" Serena asked.

"He's having an argument with himself, probably," Conan said calmly as he joined them.

Both girls turned to face him. "With himself?" they asked.

"Multiple personality disorder," Conan answered, speaking to Serena. "Don't ask. Just leave him alone for a minute."

Meanwhile...

"I think they'd be figure skaters who like mystery stories," Inuyasha suggested. "Man, have you ever heard of a dumber sport?"

_Guys..._

"The sport's not as dumb as you think," Curtis said, vaguely remembering the name 'Brian Boitano', "but that's besides the point. I think they'd be detectives obsessed with figure skating. And they'd give the evidence French names."

_Hello?_

"Only one way to find out." Inuyasha smirked. "Is there some way we can get the two to spend time together?"

_Hey..._

"Not without Phibrizzo asking someone for a restraining order. Face it: we'd make lousy matchmakers," Curtis told him. "Besides, he's in love with Rachel anyway. He's just too stubborn to admit it out loud."

_Excuse me..._

Inuyasha's smirk became a grin. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Probably."

_**Guys, would you mind? They're staring at me!**_

"Sssshhh," Curtis hissed. "We're thinking."

_So, should I get some aspirin for your headaches? Quit it!_

"Should I do it, or do you want to?"

"Go for it, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha smiled as he examined the wall of buttons in his chamber. Shuffling over to the white 'O' on the floor (the only place he could do the most damage, besides switching), he reached as far as he could and tapped a button labeled 'Blurt'.

Right out of the blue, Phibrizzo's mouth opened of its own accord. "Jimmy Kudo loves you, Rachel!"

The office was dead silent. Everyone's eyes widened for different reasons. At his desk, Richard's left eye twitched.

Phibrizzo slapped his hands over his mouth. _Inuyasha, you miserable hound...!_

"...He does...?" Rachel asked, blushing a little. "Even though he's been gone these two months without more than a few phone calls...I just wish he'd say it to my face, though."

"Straightforward," Serena said, amazed. "I'm impressed with this kid. And here I thought Jimmy was a total loser."

Conan tried to back away, his face a deeper shade of red than Rachel's. _What is he...?_

Phibrizzo's eyes narrowed. _Inuyasha, you step away from there, or so help me I'll---_

Press.

"Kudo's the greatest! As soon as he finishes that case, he'll tell you himself how he feels!"

As Phibrizzo tried shoving a fist into his own mouth, Rachel stooped down to him. "Thank you, Phibrizzo, but you don't need to tell me that. I'm already positive that he's coming back---"

In a fit of anger, Phibrizzo threw his books down and yelled: "_Stupid extra personalities! What have I done to deserve this? I can't even choose what I want to say anymore! I hate my life! Are some **rights** so much to ask for?"_ As the shout echoed down the stairwell, he broke off his rant and began hyperventilating.

Once again, dead silence. This time, Serena was the one who broke it. "Oookay...someone forgot to take their chill pill this morning."

Rachel shook her head. "I think I'm starting to buy into the whole 'multiple personality disorder' thing. I can't imagine what a whole week with him's going to be like."

Serena turned to her. "A whole _week?_ Rachel, what do you mean?"

"His foster parents are heading out of town during Golden Week," Rachel clarified. "They didn't want to take him with them. Mom's going to look after their cat, and Phibrizzo will be bunking here at the agency."

"They're going out of town during _Golden Week_ and leaving their kid behind?" Serena folded her arms, looking skeptical. "What kind of people do that?"

"They're real enthusiastic that they have someone to take care of, and they don't mind when I start wandering all over Tokyo," Phibrizzo grumbled, trying not to look at them. "They're real caring and stuff...but I think they're exaggerating my independent streak."

Serena looked at her friend questioningly. "Independent streak?"

"He likes to wander Tokyo after school," Rachel said.

"Oh. Hey, shouldn't we be going? We don't want to be late for the concert."

Phibrizzo perked up, his funk temporarily shaken off. "Concert?"

Serena smiled. "There's a concert being held downtown. Since my father's company is one of the sponsors, I had some pull. I was able to get a few tickets at a reasonable price."

Phibrizzo shrugged, then stooped and picked up his books. "Well, don't let me keep you. Nice meeting you," he said as he entered the agency.

"Glad that's settled." As Rachel and Serena stepped outside, the former turned and waved good-bye. "See you later, dad...Conan...Phibrizzo."

"Bye-bye," Phibrizzo said.

Richard nodded and looked up from his newspaper. "Have a good evening, Rachel."

After the door was closed, Phibrizzo walked over to the desk, Conan close behind. The half-mazoku greeted Richard as he went. "Alright, uncle; we're gonna get a head start on this weekend's homework. Is that okay with you?"

"Go on. Just don't bother me unless it's important, alright?" Richard said, waving him off. "There's probably a snack or something in the fridge if you want anything."

Phibrizzo nodded. "Probably can't have it, but thanks anyway. And don't try to leave us in the lurch the next time you have a case."

"You're not going to let me forget what happened Monday, are you?" Richard mumbled. "I won't leave you behind. Just go on, Phibrizzo."

-----

As recent habits dictated, the two pseudo-kids headed upstairs to the agency's living area. Phibrizzo set his books down, got out the one on Japanese writing, took out a marker and several sheets of paper...and was greeted with Conan's narrow look.

Several seconds ticked by. Finally, Phibrizzo set his stuff down. "Alright, Edogawa. What's your problem?"

"What were you doing, yelling stuff out like that?" Conan asked testily. "Anyone could've been listening in!"

Phibrizzo's eyes flashed with reflected light. "We would've known if anyone had. Besides, the parasites in there decided to have some fun at my expense. Honestly...you're the most uptight person I've ever might. I thought paranoia was _my_ department."

"Besides, you're one to talk," Curtis muttered over the microphone, "calling us 'personalities'. We're real people with real feelings and emotions."

"If you're a real person," Conan challenged, "then show me what you really look like."

"Best I can do would be to switch places with Phibrizzo and then sketch a picture of my real face," Curtis said. "And I already told you a few days ago that I'm a lousy artist."

"I'm pretty good at drawing," Phibrizzo suggested. "Let me try."

"You're good at drawing?" Inuyasha asked as Phibrizzo took out a pen and began sketching a picture. "I didn't think you liked art _that_ much."

_When you've been wandering a continent for centuries, finding ways to make lives miserable...you tend to get bored,_ Phibrizzo explained as he silently drew Curtis's likeness. _I've done murals and paintings a few times over the centuries, I'm good at brass racquets, I can make my own glass ornaments, I can sing a little, and I've taught myself how to play the flute and harp. Can't say you have any other talents besides swinging that sword around and barking in my ears._

Inuyasha nearly snapped at that, but restrained himself in time. "You don't know much about me, either," he growled. "I'm pretty good at math and writing..._legible_ writing, mind you." He added that last part to remind Phibrizzo that his knowledge of Japanese kanji was substandard. "I didn't exactly have time to get a hobby."

Curtis stepped away from the microphone. "And you seem to be good at strategy when you're calm," he pointed out.

_Strategy? Whatever gave you **that** idea?_ Phibrizzo inquired, adding some details to the picture.

"He's got a 31-5 record at 'Stratego', 12-2 at 'Monopoly', and don't even get me started on 'Risk'," Curtis admitted. "I took both Americas _and_ Africa, and he _still_ crushed me. How could he _not_ have a solid grasp of strategy?"

_It could be that he's average and you just stink_, Phibrizzo said.

"Or it could be that you keep underestimating Inuyasha," Curtis replied.

Phibrizzo ignored him. _We've been going on about our talents, but we don't know anything about what _you_ can do. Got anything special we should know about?_

"Phibrizzo?" Conan asked.

He looked up. "Yeah, Edogawa?"

"Are you okay? You keep zoning out."

"Just having a conversation with Curtis and Inuyasha," he muttered. "When I said I was a good artist, that got the others chattering away. Aside from what you already know I can do...I'm a decent flutist and tennis player, amongst other things. Inuyasha's pretty good at math and strategy, apparently. I don't know what Curtis can do, though."

"You mean what I can _really_ do?" Curtis asked over the microphone. "It's nothing special. I'm good at some video games, I'm a good typist, I like puns...and that's about it; unlike you guys, I'm your average Joe. Piano lessons and swimming lessons never went anywhere; I only know one song, and I have trouble staying in anything but shallow water."

"Funny," Phibrizzo murmured, smiling. "I would've assumed your bulk would keep you afloat."

"There's one other thing I'm good at," Curtis said. "Keeping my temper leashed."

"Keeping your temper leashed?" Conan asked inquisitively.

"I have a short temper, and sometimes it takes a little work to keep it under control," Curtis explained slowly. "You wouldn't like me when I get mad."

"That's no problem," Phibrizzo cracked, finishing the picture. "I don't like you _now_."

Curtis sweatdropped as Inuyasha laughed somewhere in the background. "Walked right into that one. Anyways, let's see what that picture looks like."

Curtis and Inuyasha edged towards the front of their respective rooms. Conan leaned forward to examine the picture, as well. "That's pretty good," he said, smiling.

"He exaggerated my weight," Curtis grumbled. "I'm closer to 200 pounds, but he drew me at 260. What gives?"

"Well, you _eat_ a lot, don't you?" Phibrizzo asked, an eyebrow raised. "I haven't seen you go more than two or three hours without eating or drinking something. You still have that huge gut."

"That's not my real weight," Curtis insisted. "I was 260 when I _got_ here. It's not like I had any choice."

"About whether you wanted to keep your weight?" Conan asked.

"I'm not totally healthy right now, but that's another topic. I mean about being _here_. In Japan. Inside some demented kid's head. I've been literally _dreaming_ this stuff for almost a month and a half; now I find out I'm 60 pounds heavier in my _sleep!_"

"Curtis, it's been _two_ months since you've appeared," Phibrizzo hissed. "What do you mean?"

Inuyasha glared at his chamber's speaker. "Yeah. What are you talking about over there? Don't tell me that 'watch' of yours stopped or something."

"Well, either time passes differently, or I'm here longer on _some_ days than I am on others," Curtis said. "Remember: whenever I disappear, it's when I wake up at home. I'm in here anywhere from six to 36 hours; but the more time I spend here, the less I remember when I wake up. All the professionals' knowledge about dreams, REM sleep, and that sort of stuff doesn't apply here. It's as if I pop in here as soon as I go to sleep at night."

"Give me a break. You _still_ don't know why you're here?" Phibrizzo said, almost forgetting to keep the volume down.

"Up until my arrival here, my life was normal," Curtis stated. "No special abilites, no hare-brained martial artists, no cold-fish scientists, no black-coated thugs, no mysterious captains, _nothing_. Suddenly I go to sleep one night and wake up in here. Now I find myself preparing for stuff while I'm awake, while actually doing the stuff while I'm asleep. Nothing fits. Weird things happen. There's nothing I can do about it."

After blinking a few times at the conversation's absurdity, Conan reminded himself that it was _Phibrizzo_ he was referring to. When it came to him, anything normal tended to explode at the seams. "That explains things somewhat," Conan mused aloud. "Each time I hear you, you don't speak a word of Japanese. You're American, aren't you?"

The room was silent for a while. "This just confuses things even more," Curtis muttered. "You're speaking Japanese, right?"

Conan gave the picture to Phibrizzo. "Yes."

"Weird. From in here, I'm hearing you speak English. I don't get it."

Conan sweatdropped. "This is really getting confusing..."

Another period of silence. "Phibrizzo?"

"Yeah, Curtis?"

"I'm going to play '_Kirby's Adventure'_ for a bit," Curtis said, firing up his television via remote.

----

For a moment, Richard was sure he saw the ceiling vibrate. When the movement didn't repeat itself, he shook it off and returned to reading his newspaper.

----

Phibrizzo and Conan propped themselves back onto the table, their hair slightly disheveled. "Curtis..." Phibrizzo growled. "That great big dramatic conversation, and you finish it with: 'I'm gonna play a stinking video game'?"

"Do _you_ want to think about this anymore?" Curtis snapped. "I'd rather do something I enjoy instead of worrying about how the laws of physics are being broken."

"Maybe we _should_ get on to finishing our homework," Conan agreed, brushing some hair out of his eyes and straightening his glasses. "Well?"

Phibrizzo sighed. "Alright, fine." Putting the picture away, he got out his language book. "Let's get this over with."

-------

Time: Twenty minutes later

"Okay, that takes care of the history homework," Phibrizzo confirmed, shutting the book and setting it aside. "Now it's on to the language work. And for those listening, _no._ I don't need your help with this."

"Who are you talking about there?" Conan inquired, putting his own book aside and preparing himself to assist Phibrizzo. He knew this stuff already, anyhow.

"Inuyasha," Phibrizzo muttered. "I hate to say it, but he has a better grasp of the written language than I do. Why do they always have to assign so much work on a Friday, anyway?"

Conan shrugged as his friend got out his homework. "It's the downside of having a five-day school week. They want the kids to keep busy."

Curtis paused his game and slowly shuffled over to the microphone, switching it on. "Wait, hold on. There's something I don't get," he said. "I did some research on the elementary school system here in Japan. Back where I'm from, it's supposed to be a _six_-day school week at this time, and there's only one teacher throughout the day. At Teitan Elementary, it's a _five_-day week, and the days are divided into seperate class periods. Why is that?"

Conan shook his head and answered quietly. "It's like that _everywhere_ now. This happened about two years ago, give or take. When Mrs. Valen became principal at the elementary school, she started complaining to the higher-uppers that the six-day weeks were hard on her, that she had enough trouble just making it to school on time each day; I didn't understand why she thought so until the incident at the museum a while ago. A bunch of other people, mainly educators, listened to her and latched on to the idea; they liked the thought of having an extra day to themselves. After a few weeks, the decision was made to reduce the school week from six days to five, on the condition that the teachers assign some extra schoolwork to cover the missing day. The change took effect the following term. You can imagine how surprised Rachel and Serena were when they found out."

"I should've known that Mrs. Giggles was behind the change," Phibrizzo muttered, double-checking his homework for mistakes and finding a handful. Frowning, he set them aside for later. "And what about the teaching schedule?"

"You remember Robin June, right?"

Phibrizzo looked up. "Miss Aisha's mom? Yeah. What about her?"

"Just something I heard about on the news...you heard her say that she does substitute teaching to support the family, right? One thing to keep in mind was that there was an influx of people studying to become teachers, but there wasn't anyplace to put them once they graduated. Finally, Robin talked to some officials about the possibility of extending the high school setup to the elementary schools. There was some debate on the subject, and finally they threw their hands in the air and said: 'What do we have to lose? Let's give it a test run.' That's how it got started. Some kids didn't like it at first, but others did. They said they got to meet more people that way. I heard on the news that they're considering keeping the setup permenantly, due to its popularity among kids."

"What's your opinion on it?" Phibrizzo asked.

Conan shrugged. "I kind of liked it better the old way. At least in that instance, we wouldn't have met Wanda Fitzgerald."

Phibrizzo smiled. "Natch. That girl's worse than Dolphin, sometimes."

Conan nodded. "I wouldn't know about that. So, what's Inuyasha seen recently? Any sign of...them?"

Surprisingly, Phibrizzo kept his smile. "You remember when I was here earlier in the month, and I said that there was an incident that I'd need to keep quiet about? I think it's high time I related it to you."

"An incident? What kind?"

"Well, I didn't want to talk to you about it at first. I didn't think you'd like the thought of it."

Alarms in Conan's mind went off. _That's not a good sign._ "What do you mean?"

"It's kind of complicated..."

"Quit smiling," Conan said, frowning. "If you guys have found out anything, I need to know!"

"Okay, fine," Phibrizzo decided, dropping the smile and setting his homework aside---since he had until 8:40 before he was supposed to go home, he'd still have time to finish it after he told the story. "You don't care much for dramatic tension, do you?"

Conan shook his head. "Not when it's my age on the line."

"Okay, okay." As Curtis went back to his game, Phibrizzo began the tale. "See, it took place late last month..."

---------------

_Chapter Fifteen concluded. Chapter Sixteen soon to commence_

Author's Notes

I know this chapter had mostly inconsequential information, but you'll never know; some of it may be important later on. I didn't really have much planned for it; I just wanted to fill in some holes and create a few new ones.

That segment at the end is going to be focused on in the next chapter: it's going to be all Inuyasha as Phibrizzo relates something that took place a month prior. I ain't saying what it's about; you'll just have to wait and see for yourself. Heh, heh.

Phibrizzo and I have differing viewpoints on the Nerima Wrecking Crew, just for the record.

Earlier, I had done some checking on the elementary school system in Japan. Before last month I hadn't known about the six-day system, so I wasn't sure how I was going to correct the previous chapters. Finally, I decided _not_ to correct anything, and it resulted in the explanation mentioned above.

One thing I thought I'd bring up briefly. I know I never asked anyone to review the story, but it's been fifteen full chapters and over 100,000 words. I think it's high time I asked people: "Please read and review". I appreciate any suggestions you have, and I'll take constructive criticism as well (no flames, though; weather like this calls for a water bottle). To those who _have_ reviewed, thanks a ton. I'm glad you liked it.

Now that that's said, let's move on.


	28. Chapter Sixteen

WHAT INSERTION?

by Curtis Wildcat

_Chapter Sixteen ---- Eyes in the Dark_

----------

**(Cue theme)**

----------

**-Cue flashback-**

Time: February 29, 1996; 11:17p.m.

Location: Somewhere northeast of Beika

In the dead of the night, a cell phone vibrated quietly. The tanned, bushy-eyebrowed man reached into his pocket and clicked it on. "This is Driver. Go ahead."

"It's Gin. We have an assignment to pass on to you. It's regarding the teenage sleuth, Jimmy Kudo."

"Go on. Have they been able to determine whether he's alive or dead?"

"Not as of now. What we need for you to do is return to the Kudo residence and aid our agents in giving it a thorough check. Leave no drawer closed, no prints unchecked, and no mark overlooked. We need to see if Kudo ever returned to his home at any point between now and our previous check. Anything could have changed; we need you to see for yourself if something has."

"Of course. Anything else?"

Gin's voice tightened. "Yes. Keep your eyes peeled for any sign of our mysterious vigilante. If he ever shows his face, you know what to do. Sherry and two others will aid you in your search. Tread cautiously, Driver."

"Understood." Driver switched off his phone and walked out the office's door, keeping his eyes and ears open for any sign of the Organization's target. Finding nothing, he stepped into his black sedan and drove off.

A silhouette rose from where it had been pressed flat against the office's roof. A pair of sharp, yellow eyes gleamed in the moonlight as the shadow began roof-hopping, tailing the sedan from a safe distance.

------

While another agent drove the vehicle towards their destination, Sherry sat in the back and stewed silently. Ever since the 'Icearc Incident', as she came to know it as, some of her associates avoided her like the plague. That suited her fine; she preferred working alone. _Besides, if I was someone else, and someone willingly kept company with Azusa Shiratori, I'd probably shun him or her, too._

She knew why the organization was wary of Azusa. Late last year, she had accidentally stumbled upon a 'business transaction' in progress, much like how Kudo supposedly met his end. Unlike Kudo, however, she was delighted. She immediately charged up to the agent, swiped the metallic suitcase that was being given to his client, called it 'Hilaire', and started to walk away. The man immediately tried to get it back, but Azusa yelled: "Hilaire is _mine_, mister!", and hammered him with a mallet she'd somehow obtained. The second agent, who threatened Azusa into returning the case, fared no better. Her partner Mikado, who'd seen the incident from a nearby parking lot, phoned the police. Meanwhile, the client was so shook up that he didn't look where he was going...and actually knocked himself out trying to get into his car.

To sum it up: both parties in the transaction were arrested, the technology and information stored in the suitcase fell into the hands of one Investigator Nagi Landon, and the event shook up the entire organization. Everyone was told that in the future, they should keep an eye out for Azusa before going about their business (it had been decided that she hadn't known or cared that the people were bad; her eyes were on the suitcase only). It came to light that Sherry was related to the girl; that earned her the ire of some, but got her respect from others.

The worst part of it all was that after its contents were emptied, the police reluctantly let Azusa keep the suitcase (she'd mistaken its reflective surface for a mirror, it was discovered).

After Icearc, rumors intensified. Since Phibrizzo had never told Sherry to keep his abilities a secret, she freely explained to those listening what had went on. This had convinced several in the electronics and science divisions that Project: Clandestine DNA existed, and had somehow succeeded. Others either called her a liar or simply refused to believe it.

But when Inuyasha came out of nowhere and captured Philips, the disbelief was gone. Despite his apparent youth, the white-haired boy knew full well what was going on (unlike Azusa). No one had heard of him using his sword for anything other than self-defense, but the image of what a _kid_ could do with a huge falchion was frightening. No one in the organization had seen Inuyasha since that night, but the presence of a rogue element on the streets---one whose appearance seemed to be completely random, judging from recent news reports---forced everyone to keep their guard up.

Sherry didn't entirely believe what everyone was talking about. Even after witnessing Phibrizzo's enigmatic strengths, she decided she would wait until she saw Inuyasha before deciding on anything.

Ever since a small boy took her view of reality out for a spin, she _really_ wanted to stop being dizzy.

-----------

_This is interesting,_ Inuyasha thought to himself as he continued roof-hopping a block behind Driver's sedan. _You said that's Kudo's house they're headed for?_

"Yeah," Curtis confirmed. "I had to flip the volume control to its highest in order to hear the whole conversation, but they're planning on searching for clues. They still don't know whether Kudo's still alive, or if he bought it several months ago."

"It's dead, Jimmy," Phibrizzo murmured, floating within his pillar.

"Cute, Phibrizzo, but this is some serious stuff. Inuyasha, you need to find some way to throw them off Conan's trail," Curtis said.

Inuyasha grinned. _Way ahead of you. I know exactly how I'm going to do this. Just make sure you don't tell me what to do, got it?_

Curtis nodded, plugging a trackball and keyboard into the entertainment center's television. He knew that the hanyou didn't like being told what to do, so he'd more or less left him alone the last few weeks.

"Sherry's going to be there, too," Phibrizzo pointed out. "How are we going to do this operation?"

_Just wait and find out,_ Inuyasha growled, watching as Driver's sedan---and the car Sherry was in---parked down the street from Jimmy Kudo's old home.

As he ran, a soft breeze rustled Inuyasha's hair and the sleeves of his borrowed shirt. Without hesitating, he shot past the cars before anyone could see him and landed on the house's roof. Searching quickly for the trigger that would allow him to teleport (again, burrowed from Phibrizzo) into the house, he activated said trigger and warped into the kitchen. Smiling, he quickly dashed around the house and began opening most of the doors, leaving them open just enough to leave proof that someone had been there.

----------

By the time the last interior door was opened, Driver and the others had already made it to the front door. One of the agents carefully picked the lock on the front door, allowing the foursome to walk right on in---Kudo had a security system, but Driver had already gotten around it on his previous visit. Smiling, Inuyasha dived back into the kitchen and waited, letting his keen ears tell the story.

"Someone's definitely been here, Driver," one of the grunts could be heard saying. "These doors over here have been left standing wide open."

"But there's still a lot of dust on everything," Sherry responded. "This place is a neat freak's nightmare."

"Nice," Driver said sarcastically, carefully closing the door behind him. "Sherry, check that closet over there. You two start checking the upstairs. I'll check the kitchen."

Inuyasha's smile widened as he leapt away from the door. _I love doing this._

A few seconds later Driver marched into the kitchen, searching for anything that might be out of place. As he did, Inuyasha flinched a little as scents from the refrigerator filled his nose. _Whatever it is in there, it's beyond recovery._ Forcing himself to ignore it, he waited until Driver neared his hiding spot.

_Come on...a little closer...a little more..._

"If you're planning on ambushing me," Driver said aloud, "you're doing a miserable job. Your footprints are everywhere."

Inuyasha didn't quit smiling just yet, instead teleporting directly behind Driver and tapping his arm. The man spun around, hoping to catch the perpetrator---but caught only air. "Slippery little runt---"

"I'd watch who you're calling a runt," Inuyasha said quietly, his smile becoming a sneer. In his mind, Phibrizzo winced at the energy that the last teleport had taken out of him. "What do you take me for, some sort of pint-sized puppy?"

Driver's eyes widened just a little before re-assuming their previous width. "Inuyasha, I take it?"

"That's the one thing I hate about a reputation---everyone knows your name," Inuyasha complained. "So, I hear you're after information on Jimmy Kudo."

"It wouldn't be too much to ask how you knew this, would it?" Driver asked quietly, hand slipping into his pocket.

"Happened to be in the area while you were talking to Gin." Inuyasha shrugged non-chalantly, resting one hand on Tetsusaiga's hilt. "I just trailed you from there. If that conversation had went on anyplace else but there, I wouldn't have known about it."

There was a brief pause. "Word has it you're able to dodge quicker than the eye can follow. Can I assume this means you're just as vulnerable to guns as everyone else who stands in our way?" Driver asked, smirking. "No one could strive to be that fast unless they were afraid of getting hit."

Inuyasha thought about this for a moment, then stretched out his free arm. "Why don't you take a free shot right here," he declared, "and we'll see if that's true or not?"

Driver hesitated, then drew his gun. "Foolish boy," he said. "In the end, that's all you are." He aimed and fired...

...and the sound, somehow boosted to a high volume, echoed throughout the house. Driver stumbled back; that gun was supposed to have a silencer!

---------

"Just when you think you've got it," Curtis told himself, fiddling with the microphone and television speakers, "something throws a wrench into the works. Man, there's _got_ to be an easier way to record sound effects..." He turned his back to his television, which was currently running an old John Wayne movie.

"I can't tell from here," Phibrizzo said over the speaker, watching the events outside, "but I'm guessing that's the one you use to talk to Edogawa."

Curtis stared down at the microphone in his hands. "That's it. I give up," he grumbled as he shut it off and put it away. "From now on, I'm sticking to games."

-------

The bullet itself flew straight into Inuyasha's arm. Slowly, the impacted area drew back...and stretched, extending about ten inches before the backlash flung the bullet away at high velocity.

Driver stepped back, disbelief coloring his face. "How did that---!"

"That's not something you deserve to know!" Inuyasha rushed forward, let go of Tetsusaiga and slashed the gun with his Iron Reaver, forcing Driver to drop it as it crumbled to pieces. He leapt back several feet, glaring at the criminal. "I gave you your free shot; you're not getting another one. It's your own fault for assuming I had the same vulnerabilities as everyone else!"

Driver's grunts barged into the kitchen, taking aim at the vigilante. "...And it's also your own fault..." Inuyasha growled as he spun and slashed, destroying their weapons as well, "...for thinking you guys can sneak up on me!" He grabbed hold of their jackets and, defying the laws of physics, effortlessly flung them over his shoulder at Driver's feet. On their way down, the grunts were knocked cuckoo.

Driver frowned and took a few cautious steps back, slipping his hand into his pocket. Without anyone noticing, he switched on his cell phone and pressed several buttons. "What is it you're trying to do? Having us arrested won't prove a thing."

"After I had taken down Philips?" Inuyasha faced him and folded his arms. "I believe I've already made my point clear. I don't like you guys at all; you're even worse than the scum I normally take down. What I'm saying is this: good-bye, poison drugs, and hello, prison bars."

"It's you against an entire organization," Driver reminded him. "The odds aren't exactly safe. We'll find your weak point sooner or later, and then it's over. You're already on our watch list; the police aren't the only ones keeping tabs on you."

Inuyasha tapped his chin. "What is it they say in that one movie...ah, I remember: 'Never tell me the odds'? Besides, you guys are the first real challenge I've had since I moved here. You think I'm just going to sit around night and day, bored out of my skull?"

"But why us?" Driver inquired. "There's plenty of organized crime out there. Why are you focusing on us?"

"Because I can."

"That's not a very good reason."

"It's the same reason _you_ people seem to use whenever you set out to do something. What's the matter, you can't take it as well as you can dish it out? I'm starting to wonder whether you're human or if you've just lost all compassion for life."

-----------

Sherry had trailed after the grunts, having heard the gunshot just as well as they had. The noise had surprised her; Driver was known for being more careful than that. However, she didn't enter the kitchen with the others, instead choosing to stay a few rooms away. Judging from the thumps and bumps she heard---and the loud yelling---she knew that the one making the racket couldn't have been anyone other than Inuyasha, who had dusted off the two agents in short order.

Listening in to the conversation, she knew that whoever Inuyasha was, there was no fear in his heart of the organization. Only someone really stupid or really brave could make such remarks, but his words carried a hidden strength behind them: strength that only someone very experienced posessed. For his apparent age, it was very remarkable.

However, his most recent statements shook Sherry to the core. _...Lost all compassion for life? I'm not like that...not really._

_Am I?_

"You're just trying to shake me up," Driver declared. "I'm long past the stage for caring. What matters is the here, the now, and what _I_ want. Nothing else."

"If it's about what _you_ want," Inuyasha growled, "why do you work for people who are out doing strictly what _they_ want?"

_Why?_

"I don't need to answer to you. You're a reject from some project that went out of control. The gunshot's the proof. All you are is a freak."

It was silent for several seconds before Inuyasha responded. "Heh. You people have been keeping tabs on me, huh? Then how come everyone's making wild guesses about what I am?"

_He's not of the project? Then what could he possibly...?_

"You're lying. Someone had to have survived the explosion. Over time, that person could have married and had a child. You're that offspring. The powers are unmistakable."

"You've made a huge mistake right there," Inuyasha said. "I wouldn't call that unmistakable. Whatever it is you're talking about, it's just hot air...freak."

_What is he...?_

Driver's displeasure could be heard in his speech. "Then you tell me why it's untrue. What possible reason could there be?"

There were some quiet footsteps, then a brief flare of light that could be seen from Sherry's hiding place. From the rustling of metal, she assumed that he'd drawn that huge sword of his. "My strength didn't just show up overnight. It came about through my determination and my wanting to protect others...something that inhuman creeps like you know nothing about! And for those of you listening at home: _that's right, I'm talking about **you!"**_

Sherry's heart froze. _He knew---!_

Inuyasha went on. "I have a little message for your stupid organization. You people are welcome to try every trick you've got against me, but be warned: I am anything _but_ your average human!"

This statement was quickly followed by a grunt and a loud 'thud'. _He must've subdued Driver_, Sherry thought, swallowing nervously. _He'll be coming after me next. If I'm going to hide, I'm going to---_ She remembered the closet she'd been looking through earlier; she'd left the door open when she heard Driver's gun go off. Quietly, she paced over to the closet and slowly closed the door down to a millimeter gap. A second later Inuyasha walked in, dragging Driver and the two grunts behind him. Sherry saw enough to note that the sword had been sheathed once more.

Inuyasha dropped the three men on the floor, then rooted through Driver's coat pocket until he found the man's cell phone. Growling to himself, he snarled into the phone: "Pathetic", then hung up. After waiting a few seconds, he slowly dialed a new number into the phone. Another short pause, then: "These better be the right people...is this the police?...This is Inuyasha...Yeah, I know its not like me to call in person, but I tracked a few guys over to Jimmy Kudo's house..._Yes_, they broke in...are you kidding me? They don't know where Kudo is any more than anyone else does...I'll be here long enough to make sure these guys don't wake up, but after that, I'm gone...well, make it snappy. I don't have all night!" He switched off the phone and dropped it near the fallen men.

_This is it..._ Sherry tensed herself, trying to calm down. _If they find me..._

Her heart almost stopped as Inuyasha turned to stare straight at the door. _Please don't check, please don't check..._

"Kudo's refrigerator _stinks_," Inuyasha murmured, sounding like he was talking to himself. "I could smell it from across the house. Why doesn't someone come in and clean it out?" He turned away from the door and slowly backed into it, shutting it when he leaned against it.

_Just don't open the door!_

Part of her was happy that the vigilante hadn't checked the closet. The problem, though, was that with him propping it shut, she was trapped. Slowly shaking her head, she settled in to wait amongst the various supplies.

_I just hope I can get myself a lawyer when the time comes._

--------

A few minutes passed, and the police arrived. They examined the scene of Driver and Inuyasha's conversation and short conflict, listened to what the sword-slinging vigilante had to say about the incident, then collected the pieces of the destroyed weapons. Most importantly, they arrested the dazed black-coated thugs, upon which Inuyasha promptly took his leave...or so it seemed.

An hour passed. It had been dead silent in the house after the lights switched off and the police left. Feeling surprised and somewhat relieved, Sherry cracked open the closet door and slipped out. Belatedly, she wondered how she was going to explain this to Gin...

**(BGM -- Briefing BGM, from 'Descent')**

"Yeah, it's safe," Inuyasha's voice intoned, nearly causing the scientist to jump. Spinning around, she locked eyes with Driver's captor; the pseudo-child was sitting against a nearby wall. "I figured you'd stick around for a while after everyone was gone, just to be sure."

Sherry groaned inwardly. She'd been trained to use a gun; but even if she'd remembered to bring hers along, they'd be useless against Inuyasha's abilities. Besides, it didn't sit right with her. "Alright, fine. You've caught me," she said, glaring at him. "If you're going to take me in, do it now."

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed. "If I wanted to capture you with those other guys, woman, I would've done it already."

"You mean you _knew_ I was in the closet?"

"I'd known you were in the house from the moment you set foot in it," Inuyasha explained. "I knew you were listening to me and that other guy from a few rooms away. There was something I wanted to talk to you about, so I decided to leave you where you were."

Sherry didn't like this at all. "Something you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Yeah. You already know about me wanting to take down your employers. What I need is for you to be quiet. Don't tell them anything about this conversation."

"I'm listening."

"Good. I already have a few people helping me out, but it doesn't hurt to have one more."

Sherry's left eyebrow arched. "You do?"

Inuyasha smiled. "Yeah. One of them is an inside source without really _being_ inside, but that's not important. Do me a favor: you're familiar with this bratty kid called Phibrizzo, aren't you?"

_Uh-oh. Who **doesn't** that kid know?_ "Yes."

"Good. That should make it easier. I don't want you to go out and look for him, but if you ever talk to him again in the future, pass on any hints you can think of."

Sherry waited a few moments before asking: "Well, what sort of hints?"

"Hints about that drug that supposedly finished Kudo, whatever your fellow agents have planned, that sort of thing. He knows me, and he'll find some way to get the information passed on."

Was it Sherry's imagination, or did the air get a few degrees cooler? "You're asking me to be a _mole?_ Do you know what they'll do to me when they find out? Besides, Gin---he's one of the more ruthless agents---doesn't like it when someone withholds information. He'll insist on me telling everything that transpired tonight."

"Whatever. I'm not asking you to agree. I mean, sure, it would be nice to have some clues, but I'll be taking them down with or without your help. And who knows? Gin might be happy to hear that you rejected an offer to double-cross them."

Sherry raised a hand to her chin in thought. _It's true that I don't really enjoy my job, but this can't be the only way out of it. I don't want to chance being caught in the act. If I'm going to turn against them in the future, I'll need a more surefire survival plan. Until then, I'll need to keep up appearances._ "I don't know...come to think of it, he'll be wondering how I was able to talk to you without you attempting to capture me."

Inuyasha's smile dissolved. "Do you have a good doctor?"

Silence...and then a groan. "There's no other way around it?"

"Someone I know would be ticked off if I lied...so, no. Like you said, if that Gin guy sees you unhurt, he'll get suspicious..." After a few moments, he said hesitantly: "Sorry."

Sherry sighed in defeat, watching as Inuyasha stood up. She braced herself. "Fine. Just make it quick!"

As Inuyasha waited a few seconds before dashing forward, one more thought crossed Sherry's mind: _What did he mean,** 'supposedly'**?_

**-End Flashback-**

------------

Time: March 29, 1996; 8:05p.m.

Location: Moore Detective Agency, living area

"...So, he rammed her with enough force to send her spinning, but not enough to cause her any serious harm. He left, ran next door and left a note for Agasa to lock the doors and reset the security system when he got the chance, doubled back and damaged Driver's cars beyond repair. Inuyasha stuck around and waited until Sherry was able to find a phone and call the hospital. After that, he went on back to where we started and continued his patrol." There was an annoyed edge in his voice as Phibrizzo added: "I was feeling the effects of energy loss, so he found a late night shop that serves ramen. When he takes advantage of my teleportation, it effects _me_ more than it does him. Ugh."

Conan sat back, digesting the story. He was a bit upset when the narrative began, but it wore off as the story continued. He'd learned from Doctor Agasa at the month's start that someone had broken in, but Agasa hadn't known the details of it. It was hard for the junior sleuth to forget his frustration at not knowing what was happening.

Also, they hadn't been sure if Sherry was going to be a double-agent or not, and they didn't want to get his hopes up. They probably figured he'd head on out as soon as he learned of the black-coated thugs' whereabouts, or try to find out where Sherry lived, or something or other.

_I think someone here knows me too well._

"The story you have just heard is true," Phibrizzo recited in a deadpan, folding his arms. "No names have been changed to protect the innocent, mainly because there _are_ no innocent people involved.

"Sherry spent two days recuperating: one at the hospital to have the injury checked out, and the other at home to appease the doctors. Afterwards, having recovered, she returned to work for the men in black coats. She has not crossed paths with Inuyasha or Phibrizzo since that time.

"Driver and his men were found guilty of breaking and entering, car theft, and several other assorted felonies uncovered by one Investigator Nagi Landon. They were sentenced to forty years in prison without a snowball's chance in a desert for parole.

"Inuyasha continued his nightly sojourns around Tokyo. He was seen later that night guzzling ramen at a 24-hour restaurant several miles away from where the incident took place.

"This show has been filmed on location with the citizens of the city. Anything you say can and will be used against you. You have a right to remain silent, but you must also speak when spoken to. All suspects are guilty. _Period._ Otherwise, they wouldn't be---"

Phibrizzo cut off his monologue. Conan looked on; his glasses were sliding down his nose, his mouth was open, and his eyes were half-closed. Slowly, Phibrizzo let his gaze connect with the mini-detective's. "...Sorry about that, Edogawa."

"...Has something been bothering you?" Conan managed to ask, adjusting his glasses.

"Nothing more than the usual stuff. Why do you ask?"

"You're rambling again."

Phibrizzo shrugged it off. "Force of habit, Edogawa. Sorry."

"And why do you keep calling me 'Edogawa'? You _can_ call me 'Conan', you know."

"..."

"Well?"

"And _now,_ getting back to our homework..." Phibrizzo declared, a trifle nervous, "we can see that the line should be curved like this at the end..."

"Answer my question, Kaden!"

Phibrizzo glared at him. "That's low, _Kudo_," he growled, his voice dropping to a whisper.

Conan winced. "You think _that's_ low? Come on and answer my question!"

Phibrizzo quickly racked his brain for an appropriate response. Even before he came to Tokyo, he'd had the habit of calling humans by either their full names or their family names. _Come to think of it, a lot of mazoku did that; it wasn't just me. Gaav and Zelas did that...although I can't recall Xellos doing that more than once or twice. I can't remember how we picked up that tendency. I guess with humans, it didn't really matter whether we called them by name or not; and since we didn't really like them, we couldn't be bothered with using their first name._ Finally, he sighed and returned his attention to his homework. "Old habits are hard to break, I guess," he murmured.

Conan caught his introspective expression and decided not to pursue the matter any further. The discussion was rather pointless, anyway.

"...Excuse me?" Phibrizzo asked, looking up at him.

"Yeah, Phibrizzo?"

"You don't mind if I call you 'Edogawa', do you?"

Conan thought for a moment, then smiled. "I guess not."

Phibrizzo nodded. "Thanks, Conan."

Conan did a quick double-take. "I thought you said..."

"It'll be a _very_ long time before I can stop calling you by your family name...faked or not..." Phibrizzo said, muttering those last few words. "But I'll try to call you 'Conan' when I remember. That's the best I can do."

The room was quiet as Phibrizzo compared his writing to that in his textbook. Finally, he asked: "So...I gave you the story. What's your opinion of the situation?"

Conan thought for a few moments, then replied: "I'm still a little mad that you didn't tell me sooner, but I won't hold it against you. You and the others had their reasons, and there's no way of knowing just yet if Sherry has her own agenda. Whatever happens, we'll need to be ready."

Phibrizzo nodded. "I agree. I'll be taking a return trip to my sister's home city tomorrow, so I won't be able to look out for our iceberg scientist."

"The same as usual?" Conan asked.

"Yeah. Say, you never did mention how that little trip you took last week turned out. You know, the one where Detective Moore got that mysterious letter?"

----------

As the two of them traded experiences and worked their way through the weekend's homework, others were making plans of their own.

Curtis had continued playing his game, knowing some of the experiences by heart already and not having anything to contribute. As he worked his way through Level Three, an idea slowly started to form: a possible way for him to meet Conan in person, in broad daylight and without anyone piecing the clues together...

----------

Location: Team Rocket HQ

Time: Two hours later

"009's request has been considered," Giovanni was saying to the figures on the monitor, "but if we want to turn his abilities over to us, we have no other choice. We cannot allow personal preferences to override our mission."

"I don't know why you listen to that woman anyway," the male figure stated. "If she's not strong or skilled enough to overcome a _child_, what point is there to letting her stick around?"

Giovanni knew what they were going to say, and was ready with a reply. For some reason, they never had liked Domino too much. "The point is that she's one of our top agents. You haven't seen this boy's bizarre talents for yourself, so you're dismissing the evidence outright. Anyone who can defeat an elite agent, plus two fully-prepared field agents, deserves to be watched."

"So this boy---this _boy_---is trying to tell _us_ what to do? He's a brazen little brat," the second voice said, this one obviously female.

"Brazen or not, he's dangerous if he's not contained. As soon as you finish your assignment in Goldenrod City, return to Kanto. When you do, report to me for additional information on your target."

Both figures nodded. "Yes, sir!" they said in unison, their image fading from the viewscreen.

---------

Location: Unknown

A man wearing glasses stared out the window at the distant night skyline, looking bored. "Our talented little boy's out there somewhere in that mass of lights...and out there, farther still, is the man I'm searching for. Wherever he is, he alone has the answers to my questions...

"In time, they both will face me, and they will learn that the Captain's will is not to be denied..."

---------

Location: Unknown

"Philips...Driver...and just two nights previous, Ethanol...yes, he's made the jump from pest to troublemaker. Ethanol was foolish, thinking he could overwhelm him with absolute force; he clearly forgot the ease with which the vigilante repels ammunition. No thanks to him, eleven of our minor agents are in prison, and Ethanol himself incarcerated in a police jail and awaiting trial. Sooner or later, we _will_ need to do something about him."

Gin smiled and walked into the darkness, Vodka several steps behind him. "And as soon as a weakness is discovered, I'll be glad to show this 'Inuyasha' how we work."

-------

Location: Abandoned harbor

Time: Three hours later

Several men backed a large semi towards a nearby warehouse. The driver stepped on the brake a little too quickly, and their vision jerked a little.

Upon taking the keys out of the ignition, the men---attired in dark clothing so as not to be spotted---spoke in low tones to each other; while they did, two more men hurried out of the warehouse and got close enough to hear them. "Careful, you idiot! Don't you know how sensitive that cargo is?"

"It _must_ be sensitive for you to complain about my driving."

"Would you be quiet? Those containers are holding brand-new components, the same ones we just stole from the computer store's holding area. Microchips, monitors, the fastest RAM modules released up to now...it's all top of the line. Our buyer in Hokkaido will have a conniption when he finds out that anything's damaged."

"Would you just relax so we can get to work? We have no choice except to transfer everything by ship, and everything has to be loaded before dawn. Let's get to it before anyone shows up!"

As the men opened the back of the semi, a lone figure watched them from the roof. As white hair ruffled softly in the breeze, he stood up, having learned what he needed to know from that conversation.

Inuyasha's eyes flashed as he leaped into the air, catching the attention of the men below him. Their jaws and eyes opened wide as he descended into their midst...

--------------

_Chapter Sixteen concluded. Chapter Seventeen soon to commence_

Author's Notes

You may have noticed that I usually chuckle about something at the end of each chapter. I won't this time, for several reasons:

One, my computer's networking card decided it didn't like me anymore and decided to act up, forcing us to replace it. In the meantime, I either used dial-up on another computer or didn't go online at all for several weeks.

And two, I'm still kind of shocked at hearing about what happened to the "Crocodile Hunter", Steve Irwin. I never paid much attention to him---aside from the occasional commercial on 'Animal Planet'---but I knew enough to understand that he did a lot for animals; and how could anyone forget his catch-word? ... Anyhow, enough moping. On with the notes.

The chapter wasn't _all_ Inuyasha in the truest sense of the word; I just said it to indicate that he would have a major role in the chapter. At this time in the storyline, Gin and the others now consider Inuyasha one of their primary foes. Is Inuyasha worried? Nah. Does he have his work cut out for him? Definitely.

What was Sherry's decision? You'll have to wait on that.

Phibrizzo's rant was a mix of several sources, including the TV show 'Dragnet' and the _Star Wars_-themed 'Cops' parody, 'Troops'. Points to anyone who recognized them. Oh, and just for the record: I don't watch 'Cops'. I just like 'Troops'.

Some of the scenes in here were thrown in to help set up a few future chapters. With all the enemies that Phibrizzo and Inuyasha are making, this stew pot is going to boil over...and when that time comes, I hope everyone's still around.

Moving on to Chapter Seventeen (whoa; almost said 'Android')...


	29. Chapter Seventeen, Part A

WHAT INSERTION?

by Curtis Wildcat

_Chapter Seventeen, Part A ---- Unorthodox_

----------

**(Cue theme)**

----------

Location: Cerulean Gym, Cerulean City

Time: 1:24pm, March 31, 1996

Ever since she was reunited with Phibrizzo, Dolphin had been keeping tabs on him.

The mazoku that had displayed an extreme hatred for humans was all but gone; if she understood it correctly, he was now half-human himself, and the hatred had been dimmed down to annoyance. A huge chunk of his power had been lost upon arrival on this world, which she now knew as Earth. His major goals---basically, destruction and chaos---had been foiled. Two actual people were sitting in what passed for his skull, and one of them gave every indication of being human. You couldn't get much lower than that. Freely associating with a human, and not showing any hatred of him or her, was taboo as far as all mazoku were concerned.

_So, what does that say of **me?**_

Dolphin still considered herself a mazoku, despite her mostly human form and the appearance of gills. Yet, here she was, spending most of her free time cooped up inside the Gym and living a human's life. _Is it something about this world? I still feel powerful, but not in the way I was before...I've tried, time and time again, to live off of the human race's misery since I came here; but each time I start to, I feel as if there's a voice inside me, telling me that what I'm doing is wrong. The one time I ignored it and went ahead anyway, I started feeling extremely woozy...as if I was experiencing what humans call 'the dry heaves'. I've never felt that way before...it's very disquieting._

_That being said, why am I no longer bothered by feelings of joy and happiness? What has happened to me? Have I become so dependent on Misty and Jetsam that I've set aside my wariness of the human race...or is it something else?_

_Well, I'll say this for humanity: whoever invented coffee must've been a genius. Maybe being a human has its good points, after all._

Dolphin sat in the stands, sipping from a cup of coffee. Down below, Misty was in the middle of a Pokémon battle against an acquaintance of hers from a neighboring region. Misty's Corsola was good, but the opposing trainer's Espeon was better. Within minutes, the battle was over.

Dolphin remained where she was, looking contemplative. Any minute now, Phibrizzo and Flareon would be returning from another intense training session. She'd tried trailing them several times to see what the sessions consisted of, but both times they heard her coming and abruptly sat down, staring into the sky until she left. After the second time, she just shrugged and stayed at the gym, watching over things or spending time with Jetsam and the others. If he wanted to keep Flareon's progress a secret, fine.

During her first few days here, it occured to her that if she was going to stay in the Kanto region for a while, she'd need to keep her skills in top condition. She'd learned that there was plenty of competition involving the Pokémon, so she'd decided to learn as much about them as possible. After going through several books and testing her newly-acquired knowledge with Jetsam and several other water-types that Misty permitted her to care for, she'd taken what she'd learned two steps further. In the process, she'd learned what some trainers go most of their lives without figuring out:

_Be in sync with your Pokémon. Think like it thinks. Adapt your skills to those of the opponent's._

This was the edge Dolphin maintained in a Pokémon battle.

_And if Phibrizzo discovers that same edge, good._

"Excuse me? Lauren, could you get down here, please?"

Dolphin smiled and set her coffee aside as Misty's voice brought her out of her musings. Pushing off the chair in front of her, she flipped through the air and landed gracefully on the tiled floor bordering the pool, eliciting an amazed cry from Misty's acquaintance. Not having her notepad on her, she instead signed: 'What is it?'

"After I say good-bye to Emily, I'm going to run by the store and pick up a few things. Do you want me to bring you anything?"

Dolphin thought for a moment, then signed: 'Everything's fine.'

Misty accepted it. Turning to the trainer she'd battled earlier, she presented her with a freshly-made Cascade Badge and led her out of the building.

Dolphin, though, turned away and strolled along the edge of the pool. Manuevering the diving board back into its normal spot, she clambered up to the top and walked across the board. As she neared the edge, she stretched across the length of the board and stared out across the room. It was an odd habit, but it was her means of unwinding.

_Let me see...there's another water show scheduled two weeks down the line. It should hold us over until the officials at that Indigo Plateau place get around to reading that letter we sent. There'll be time to practice some new tricks and arrange for an exhibition match later..._

_I'd always wondered what boredom felt like. Now that I'm experiencing it, I hate it._ She yelled

silently: _Do you hear me? I hate you, boredom! You've got something funny to say? Say it to my face!_

"Hey, Dolphin. Looking vacant again?" Phibrizzo's voice asked her from the stands.

Dolphin's eyes flicked in his direction before staring out again. _On second thought, boredom, stay as long as you want!_ After a few seconds, she turned her head and shook it.

"Call it whatever you like," Phibrizzo said, just loud enough for her to hear. Picking up his voice, he continued: "Sunburst and I are just about done for now; I'll be back again tomorrow, same time. For now, I'm just going to hang around here until it's time for me to leave."

Dolphin didn't answer him, instead resting her chin on one arm and letting the other hand hang below the board.

"So, you want anything for lunch? Thought about grabbing a taco and spicing it up Phibrizzo-style...want to have one, too?"

Dolphin didn't answer him out loud. _What do I look like...a fire-breather? After **that** experience, I'm just glad that I still have my sense of taste...and that the cold water nozzle in the bathtub still worked after it was wound all the way!_

Frowning, Phibrizzo removed his shoes and set them aside before ducking out of view. "I was at a sporting goods store recently," he was heard saying. "Someone I know there was able to give me some good deals on stuff."

_I should've gone with Misty. Whether he's a true sibling or not, Phibby's still as annoying as one._

About a minute or so later, Dolphin heard the familiar _snap-hiss_ that signalled Phibrizzo's teleportation...to a spot somewhere above her. She was able to scramble away in time just as Phibrizzo landed on the board and started to jump on it. Glancing once at him, just long enough to see the lime green-banded black swimshorts he'd donned, the mazoku/superhuman started backing towards the steps.

"I'm thinking about warping over to Nerima tomorrow after our next training session," Phibrizzo was saying as he repeatedly jumped on the board, each jump taking him closer to the ceiling. "There's a group of wackos over there that I visit."

Dolphin paused.

"Misguided martial artists, insane rich people, crossdressers...the works," Phibrizzo continued. "Unless you have a high tolerance for 'weird', you won't last long there."

After a few seconds, Dolphin went down the steps and walked over to the stands, seeking out her coffee.

"You're welcome to come along, if you want," Phibrizzo called as she climbed into the stands. "Just make sure you're coated in pepper spray before you teleport in. And keep your Vaporeon at home."

Right when he finished speaking, Phibrizzo made one more jump that propelled him towards the ceiling. Reaching up with one hand, his fingertips were able to brush the ceiling before gravity sent him plunging into the pool, splashing water everywhere.

Dolphin shrugged, then gazed into her coffee cup---and froze.

The cup was empty.

----------

Location: Nerima district, Furinkan High School's roof

Time: Morning, two days later

Clad once more in her normal performance outfit and equipped with a small duffel bag stock-full of supplies, Dolphin teleported from Cerulean City onto Furinkan's roof. Having asked for a few photos of the area from Phibrizzo, she'd zeroed in on what seemed a safe place to appear.

Dolphin gazed out over the edge of the building she'd appeared on. Down below, a man armed with a wooden sword was regaling two girls---one with striking red hair---with a long-winded speech. Deciding that it was time to go, she jumped off the roof and descended straight down, landing lightly with her usual grace behind the raving man. He didn't seem to have noticed.

The two girls, however, did. "Ranma, who is that?" one of the girls asked.

Dolphin walked past, not giving the man a second look. From the sound of things, though, he was immediately enraptured. The man stuttered for a few seconds, then started going on about such things as grace, form, and someone called "Triton's daughter". Dolphin shook her head. _Phibrizzo wasn't kidding._

Hearing someone run towards her---most likely the lunatic---Dolphin reached into her bag and pulled out a magic marker. Before the man could catch her, she pivoted on one foot and did a complete 360, bringing her behind the man as she dodged out of the way. As the man's head turned, she unscrewed the marker's cap and started scribbling on his face. Dumbfounded, the two spectators---plus who knows how many more were watching from the windows---could do nothing but watch.

Fifteen seconds later, having finished what she wanted to write, Dolphin put the marker back in her bag and continued on her way. Just before she exited the grounds she stopped, reconsidered, and entered the school instead.

-----------

On the outside, Nabiki was as calm as could be. On the inside, she was as surprised as everyone else. _Looks like Nerima's gotten itself another oddball. Who is she?_

-----------

Ranma swallowed, a bit unnerved by what the long-haired woman had just done. _Man, talk about grace under fire!_

"That was awesome," Akane murmured. "She acted like nothing was happening!"

The two of them turned away from the gate to see Kuno's reaction. The kendoist was staring towards the school doors, the marks on his face not yet registering in his mind. "Like rushing water she appears, and like a mist she drifts away," he intoned. "Marvelous..."

He was still there when Akane and Ranma edged past him into the school. It wasn't until the bell rang that it occured to him that he shouldn't be standing out here.

And it wasn't until he next saw his reflection that he discovered what the woman had written on his face: "Out of order".

Not that it mattered to him or anything.

-----------

In the principal's office, Dolphin glared at the second nut she'd seen in the past five minutes. She deliberately ignored the pineapples, coconuts, and paper-mache palm trees scattered around. 'I want to sit in on one of your classes. What part of "sit in" do you not understand---the "sit", or the "in"?'

"Da big kahuna wasn't expecting any visitors today," Principal Kuno told her. "Rules are rules. No sitting around da building without a prior appointment, wahine."

Dolphin watched the palm tree on the man's head as she answered: 'It's only for the morning, and besides, it's not like I'll be disturbing anything. From what I've heard, this place is disturbing enough.'

"Hmmm...if da pretty wahine follows one condition," the principal said, taking one of the pineapples on the desk and handing it to her. "Keep dis with you at all times. It's proof of my permission!"

Dolphin tried not to blink, but was unsuccessful. _And people think **I'm** weird._ Not bothering to write a response, she pocketed the notepad and pen before taking the pineapple.

"I have one more thing to ask you...it's a memento of your visit to Furinkan!" Principal Kuno said, getting her attention. From out of nowhere, he grabbed a pair of clippers and a giant comb, lunging over the desk. "Long-lasting haircut! Only the best!"

----------

Dolphin walked out of the office a minute later, fuming silently. In her left arm was the 'permission pineapple'. Her ponytailed hair, which nearly brushed the floor, was left untouched. With each step she took away from the office, some hair came off her shoes: hair that was previously on the principal's head. _He should be thankful I left that decal on his head behind! That miserable macademy nut, or whatever it is you call them! Say, I'd probably be a good barber..._

_But that's a thought for another time. Which class should I sit in on?_

_As if I didn't already know..._

-----------

Miss Hinako was just finishing attendance when someone knocked at the door. Mentally sighing, she jumped off her chair and went over to answer the door.

Ranma perked up when he saw who it was, and Akane leaned forward curiously. "It's that strange woman from earlier," the third Tendo child remarked aloud.

Hinako gazed up at Dolphin, who towered over her by several feet easily. The woman seemed a little ill at ease, but got over it quickly when she saw the teacher. Arching an eyebrow as she entered, she got out her notepad, balanced the pineapple on her head, and wrote: '_You're_ the teacher? I was expecting someone...taller.'

Ukyo tried to see what Dolphin was writing. "What's she saying?"

"Are you a new student here?" Hinako asked. "You look---"

Dolphin slashed the air with her hand, then wrote another message. 'I _dare_ you to finish that sentence.'

Ukyo spoke up. "Excuse me, miss, but if you're going to write something, could you at least use the board?"

"And what's with the pineapple?" Ranma asked. "Are you related to the principal or something?"

Before Akane could object to his straightforwardness, Dolphin's shoulders shook with quiet laughter. Putting the notepad away, she began scribbling a message on the board. As she did this, Hinako stood back on her chair in order to read it better:

"'My name's Lauren Aqua, but you can call me Dolphin. I'm in Nerima on my day off, and I decided to sit in on your morning classes before I left to see the sights. As for the pineapple, apparently your principal has never heard of "permission slips"...anyway, if you have any questions, speak up now so that the teacher can get started'."

Dolphin put down the chalk and turned to face the class, glancing at each student questioningly.

Akane was the first to raise her hand, and Dolphin nodded her head towards her. "Miss Dolphin, how'd you sneak up on Kuno like that?"

"She snuck up on Master Kuno?" one of the students whispered.

Smiling, Dolphin teleported a few feet to her right, snatching the pineapple as it fell. She then threw the fruit across the room, then warped again in time to catch it. Finally she warped right outside the window, waited until everyone saw her, then waved and teleported back inside. Taking up the chalk again, she wrote: 'Does that answer your question?'

Some of the students blinked and muttered to themselves, but the class as a whole accepted her teleportation ability. They'd seen stranger things, after all. Personally, Ranma was rather uneasy with it, but he didn't let it bother him for long.

Before Dolphin placed the pineapple back on her head, she nodded at the student who'd whispered earlier and motioned for him to speak. "Why haven't you said anything out loud?"

She frowned; she'd expected that question and had been prepared for it, but it was starting to bug her. She wrote: 'Because I can't. I can't talk...not normally, anyway.' Almost immediately several faces softened, and her eyes narrowed a fraction. _I don't think I'll ever get used to being pitied._

The third hand, surprisingly enough, belonged to Miss Hinako. "You're not here to encourage delinquent behavior, are you?"

Dolphin's frown was replaced by a wide, shut-eyed grin. 'I used to be insane. Now I'm just crazy.'

Several students facefaulted; everyone else sweatdropped. "That's not really what you're supposed to say," Akane stated, recovering.

'You people can't take a joke, can you?' Dolphin asked, this time smiling normally. 'I won't disrupt class or anything like that. Now, I think I've taken up enough time. Can I borrow one of your chairs?' she finished, taking a bite out of the pineapple she'd previously been storing on her cranium.

---------

As Dolphin found an empty desk and sat behind it, placing the pineapple and her duffel bag on the floor, different thoughts were running through everyone's heads.

Hinako was considering what she'd been told. _She looks smart enough. Why's she in school? She'd better not cause any trouble. Oh, well. On with the class!_

Ukyo was wondering at first if Dolphin had any sort of claim on Ranma, courtesy of Genma. After seeing the woman's total lack of interest, though, she guessed that maybe she was already married and that her reasons for coming to Furinkan were the truth. _Why else would she ignore him unless she was already devoted to someone else?_

Akane was hoping that Dolphin was only a visitor, as the woman claimed she was. _The **last** thing I need is **her** on top of everyone else. She did say she used to be insane, after all. And why'd she grow her hair that long? I'll bet she's clumsy and hiding it._

Ranma's thoughts were along different lines...at first. _That wasn't just speed; she was going too fast to be in and out of the school that quickly. How'd she do that? And that expression...it's like some sort of cross between Shampoo and Nabiki! That's a **bad** combination!_

One minute into Hinako's lecture, the door was busted open. Kuno, his face free of writing, almost literally flew into the room. In one hand was a bokken; in the other, a rose bouquet. "Aqua-haired belle, surely Triton himself has granted me the privilege of witnessing your presence. The foul sorcerer Saotome could not have enslaved you, for the lord of oceans' power is vast, indeed!" He marched past the students, the bouquet held out in front of him. "Please, accept this token of my esteem!"

Dolphin calmly eyed the kendoist as everyone waited with baited breath. Finally, she smiled. Everyone who saw this---save Kuno, of course---felt shivers go up their spines. The worst villains in history could not have looked so sinister and maniacal as this aqua-themed woman; it looked like she had it down to an art form. If only they knew.

The moment was ruined when the neglected 'permission pineapple' (or the large chunk that was uneaten) suddenly detonated. The explosion blasted the desk into the wall, blew all the petals off the flowers, and turned everyone in the vicinity a dark, sooty shade of gray. The duffel bag it was sitting on somehow took only minor damage.

When the smoke started to clear, Kuno and Dolphin---who had taken the brunt of the explosion---were the most surprised. Dolphin was utterly flabbergasted, staring at the chunks of pineapple that were left. _I had no idea fruit could explode like that!_ She gazed up at the class questioningly; her appearance and expression were so comical that some students couldn't help but chuckle.

"You got gipped," Ranma finally said, fighting to keep from laughing himself. "The principal likes to put bombs in those things."

"Are you okay?" Akane asked, being one of those who hadn't been mirthful.

Dolphin forced a nod, then stood and shook herself violently. All the soot that had gathered on her was thrown off. She looked up at Kuno, who was waiting for a response despite the fact that the flowers were ruined, and accepted the bouquet. Before the swordsman could react, though, a blast of water---similar in appearance to Jetsam's Water Gun---literally flowed out of the mazoku's right hand and washed him out the window. She kept up the stream for a few more seconds, washing some leftover soot from the damaged flowers.

The entire class---including the now-female Ranma---stared at her, agape. "How---how did you do that?" someone wanted to know.

Dolphin shrugged as she sat back down. That had actually been only the second time she'd used that ability since she moved in. She'd kept the water, teleportation, and floating skills under wraps for the most part; she only teleported when she wanted to get to Tokyo, and she'd only floated once (just a few minutes ago). She hadn't been about to let the world know that she was more dangerous than she looked; she instead learned to use her newfound strength, agility, and grace to their greatest effects. No need to freak out the populace with abilities that were normally attributed to Pokémon.

_At least the bizarre is acceptable in Nerima._

As things gradually calmed down and everyone got over their surprise, Dolphin---no longer having a desk to sit at---sat back in her chair. Not having any real respect for romance and wishing she'd brought a snack from home, she instead began nibbling the flowers Kuno had given her.

---------

Time: That afternoon, after school

Location: Ukyo's restaurant

Ukyo diverted her attention from the grill long enough to note that Phibrizzo had just teleported on in. _About on schedule_, she thought. _He usually comes here about twice a week._ "Hello, Phibrizzo. The usual?" she called.

Phibrizzo shook his head. "I think I'll try the shrimp okonomiyaki this time. And a glass of water, please."

A few minutes later, Ukyo delivered his meal. "Here you go, sugar. Cooked to perfection, as always."

"Appreciate it. By the way," Phibrizzo asked, "has anything unusual happened recently...besides the norm, I mean?"

"Actually," Ukyo said, "something new _has_ happened. This blue-haired woman showed up at Furinkan and sat in on our classes. I thought at first that she was after Ranma, but she completely ignored him. She later blasted Kuno out the window by shooting water out her hand."

Ukyo didn't like the look Phibrizzo gave her. "You're talking about Deep Sea Dolphin, aren't you?"

"Well, she _did_ say to call her 'Dolphin', but I thought she said her real name was Lauren Aqua."

"It's Deep Sea Dolphin," Phibrizzo muttered. "She told me yesterday she wasn't going to go to Nerima. She must've changed her mind somewhere along the way."

"You're acting like you know this woman..."

"I do. She's my sister. She uses 'Lauren Aqua' as a stage name back where she lives." Phibrizzo took a bite of his meal, then spoke again after he'd swallowed it. "So, what kind of damage did she do?"

_She's his sister, huh? I should've guessed._ "Well, Kuno charged into the classroom a few times, and each time she made it clear she wasn't interested. As you can guess, the dope ignored her. The last time he barged on in, Miss Hinako drained his energy and let Dolphin toss her into the school's swimming pool. He didn't show up the rest of the morning, and your sister left at lunchtime. I haven't seen her since."

"Dolphin's always been one for mischief," Phibrizzo grumbled. "She has an odd sense of humor, like her namesake. If there's trouble, she'll either find it or be the cause of it. As soon as I'm done here, I'm gonna go to the Nekohanten and see if the Amazons have seen her at all." He added in a lower tone: "I _told_ that walking fish to bring pepper spray..."

"Let me know how it turns out," Ukyo said dryly as she returned to her grill. _No way that I'm getting involved in this. If those two really are siblings, I'd hate to see what they're like when they're under the same roof._

_Hold on a second...'walking fish'?_

---------

Time: Twenty minutes later

"Yes. Shampoo saw long-haired woman outside Tendo Dojo," Shampoo explained as she and Phibrizzo stood outside the Cat Cafe. "Thought woman was after airen, but wanted to see no-good Panda-man instead. Don't know what for, except for collecting on debt."

"Actually, this is the first time Dolphin's ever met Genma," Phibrizzo said just loud enough for Shampoo to hear. "I don't think she's here to collect anything from him. Anyhow, you didn't try to attack her, did you?"

Shampoo shook her head. "Woman no claim to airen. No obstacle to Shampoo. Is safe."

Phibrizzo nodded. "Right. Just so I have this right, Miss Shampoo, who did you mean by 'is safe'?"

"Not obvious to small boy?" Shampoo asked curiously, smiling a little. "Long-haired woman is safe. Much better not to fight."

"Yeah," Phibrizzo agreed. "For your health, anyway."

Shampoo's smile faded. "Shampoo don't like what that means."

"You don't have to like it," Phibrizzo said, frowning. "Dolphin's no fighter---at least, not in the same sense that you and the others are---but she's much worse than an Amazon's worst nightmare."

"How so?"

"Let's see...how to explain this..." Phibrizzo tapped his foot against the ground for a few seconds before an explanation occurred to him. "Okay, I think I've got it. Imagine a large housecat with claws and teeth. It's sure of itself and is able to defend its territory. With me on this?"

Shampoo nodded. "Go on."

"Okay. Imagine that this housecat meets up with a large fish. It's been a few hours since its last meal, so it decides to go for it. A few problems, though. One: this fish can walk on land. Two: this fish has the playfulness and intelligence of a dolphin, the bite of a barracuda, and all the ferocity of some cornered piranha...and that's if it's had a _good_ day. On a bad day, the cat'll scamper indoors and hide in a blanket until dinnertime. You see what I'm getting at?"

Shampoo pondered this for a few seconds. "Dolphin more dangerous than she appears. Doesn't practice fighting, but retaliates in other ways...much like mercenary girl."

"Minus the reference to Nabiki, that's close enough," Phibrizzo said after a moment's thought. "Trust me. When she's truly angry, she'll let you know in every way possible."

A line of subsequent thoughts ran through Shampoo's head. _So, Dolphin---if that's the woman's name---is no fighter. That means if any of us try to attack her if they feel slighted somehow, she's liable to call the authorities instead of settling it herself. But if I heard Phibrizzo right, there's more to Dolphin than meets the eye. Maybe great-grandmother would like to meet this woman._

Phibrizzo, not getting a reaction out of the Amazon, shrugged and waved good-bye. "Later, Shampoo." Stretching his arms and grabbing a nearby roof, he pulled his feet off the ground and Gum Gum Rocketed down the street.

A few minutes later, after handing out a few more orders of ramen, Shampoo grabbed her bicycle---already prepared with some food for her 'airen' should he turn up---and began pedalling at full steam towards the Tendo dojo.

--------

Location: Tendo dojo

"You mean she's just been sitting there for the past hour?" Akane asked, disbelieving as she looked outside.

Kasumi nodded. "She listened and communicated with Ranma's father for a while, then went out to watch the koi. She hasn't even twitched."

Akane knew what she meant by 'communicated', having learned of Dolphin's verbal infirmity first-hand. She was a bit surprised to find that the woman had no interest in Ranma, but she wasn't complaining.

Nabiki folded her arms. "So, she just came by to see Genma...and then, without getting angry at him or anything, she just goes out and watches the fish. I was right; Nerima's gotten itself another oddball. What did she want to talk to Genma for?"

"She didn't say," Kasumi said, smiling.

Akane sweatdropped. "Kasumi..."

"What I mean to say is that she didn't let us know. She had me leave the room beforehand," Kasumi explained. "I overheard Mister Saotome say something about keeping a marker handy, but that was about it."

The room was silent for several moments as everyone harbored their own thoughts. "You realize, of course," Nabiki stated, "that if there's a woman anywhere on the property, there's bound to be a disaster."

"Oh, right," Akane growled venomously. "_Him._ Well, let's hope he doesn't show up."

"You shouldn't have said that," Nabiki deadpanned, pointing out the window.

The three of them saw Happosai bounding towards Dolphin like a caffeinated cricket. It was too late, of course, to do anything about it; but as they rushed towards the door, they could at least see how the aqua-haired woman responded to Nerima's greatest danger---

_**CRASH!**_

A tremendous cloud of dust and dirt exploded from where Happosai had been, blowing past the Tendo sisters as they ran outside. Shielding their faces from the dust, they heard a familiar voice...

"Ha-ha-ha-ha...ha-ha-ha...ka-boom! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

As a brief breeze blew the grit away, the trio saw a familiar shape propped up on his elbows...laughing like he'd just heard the world's funniest joke. Beneath him was Happosai, temporarily knocked cuckoo by the figure's arrival method.

Nabiki shook her head. "Phibrizzo, you probably couldn't have picked a better time to drop in."

Phibrizzo grinned, brushing himself off. "I guess I rocketed a little too high back there. Oh, well." His grin dropped to a calm smile. "So, have you seen my sister anywhere?"

"Sister?" the Tendo sisters asked in unison.

"Yeah. She has ponytailed blue hair that she trips over whenever she lets it loose. That should identify her by itself."

"That woman," Akane almost shouted, "is your _sister?_"

"Yes," Phibrizzo said uncertainly. "What's the fuss about..." He paused for a few seconds before asking: "And what's that I'm sitting on?" He looked down, finally noticing that he'd landed directly on top of Happosai. "Oh. It's you. Well, whatever it is, you probably deserved it."

During the explosion and the conversation, Dolphin still hadn't moved. Finally deciding to make herself known, she strolled on over...and sat down on Phibrizzo's stomach before he could get up. This had the added effect of pushing Happosai into the ground.

Phibrizzo grunted and strained a little bit. "I was looking around for you," he complained. "You told me you weren't going to come to Nerima!"

Pondering for a moment, Dolphin reached into her hair and pulled out a sign that read: 'I changed my mind'. Phibrizzo's mouth dropped open when he saw this. "Terrific. You'll imprint upon anyone, won't you? You've been taking lessons from Genma, haven't you? That's not a good sign!"

"Phibrizzo," Nabiki said, stopping what could've dissolved into an argument, "in case you forgot, you're sitting on top of a lech."

Remembering who he'd landed on, Phibrizzo's next complaint died on his lips. Instead, he offered Dolphin a smile. "On second thought, sit as long as you'd like! So, uh...I didn't know you had a subspace pocket in your hair."

'There's a lot of things you don't know about me,' Dolphin said, then flipped the sign around. 'For that matter, what's this about a lech?'

Phibrizzo hissed something that the Tendos couldn't hear, although they guessed that he was telling Dolphin about Happosai. To their surprise, the woman remained composed...mostly. The only sign that she was ticked off was the ocean-blue glow that surrounded her. 'I see...anything else?'

"No. Why?"

'Because he's about to take an unscheduled vacation.'

Dolphin put the sign away, touched Happosai's head, and teleported out. Phibrizzo pushed himself onto his feet, brushing off some of the dust that lingered on his clothes...and then a sudden weight on his head almost made him topple. "Dolphin," Phibrizzo growled, glaring upwards, "get off my head."

Akane and the others stared in wonder. What weren't those two capable of? "If they think that's normal," Nabiki commented out loud, "maybe we should be thankful that Ranma's not any worse."

"Dolphin, I said _get off!_" Phibrizzo shouted, patience running low.

His only response was a quiet 'tsk-tsk-tsk', one of the few noises Dolphin was capable of making in her present state. Incensed, Phibrizzo's body started glowing violet as his temperature skyrocketed.

Dolphin was forced to jump off to keep the heat from burning clear through her shoes. She glared at her brother, outwardly calm but inwardly seething for several reasons (having learned of Happosai, she'd fought hard to keep her fury under control). She pulled out another sign. 'You know, brother, despite the battles you've fought against those Team Rocket people...' She paused to flip the sign over. '...it still isn't entirely clear what you've become. Judging from recent behavior...' She flipped the sign again. '...I'd say you're getting soft.'

"Me? Soft?" Phibrizzo scoffed, his temperature decreasing. "_You're_ the one who sleeps on top of a diving board when there's nothing going on. Don't accuse me of doing stuff when you're not any better."

Flip. 'It's not an accusation. It's the _truth._ Don't confuse the two.'

"Hmph." Phibrizzo's stare didn't waver, and he seemed to have forgotten that there were others watching him. "Tell me something, and tell me honestly. Do you enjoy it when people around you get depressed, angry, or both?"

Dolphin didn't respond.

"I don't know about you, but simmering in a pot of my own depression just doesn't cut it for me anymore. There are people out there that care about me. I don't know yet how _I_ feel about _them_, but until I come to grips with this, I can't let anything push me off course. Ever since I came to Tokyo, I felt as if a string's been cut. It took a little while, but I feel as if I can let old issues and grudges fade into the background, and focus on the here and now. If you're here, I know the same thing's happened to you!"

Dolphin remained where she was, staring into her brother's eyes. Finally, she flipped the sign around again. 'I was right...you _have_ gotten soft. In the past, you would never...' Another flip. '...even consider such a subject. Your time here is turning your...' '...own thoughts against you.'

"If that's true," Phibrizzo challenged, "why am I still here? Why am I standing here, the picture of the excellent physical and mental health---if you count out Curtis and Inuyasha---and totally unaffected by positive emotions? I'll ask you again: do you take pleasure in others' anger?"

Again, Dolphin didn't respond, instead putting the sign away.

"...Four, five...six. She flipped that same sign around _six_ times!" Akane murmured, amazed. "She must've taken what Genma told her seriously."

Nabiki was more concerned with what Phibrizzo and Dolphin were arguing about. If she guessed correctly, the two siblings had an immense disliking for other people in the past. What she didn't get was why Phibrizzo would start changing his ways after coming to Tokyo, as opposed to anyplace else.

The middle Tendo sister glanced momentarily at Kasumi. Despite her innate cheer and helpfulness, it was hard to tell what the eldest sibling was thinking sometimes. _If I had to guess, she's probably hoping that they settle this discussion peacefully. Judging from these two, I don't blame her._

-------

Dolphin was a master at hiding her true emotions, being able to conceal even the most extreme feelings behind a silent poker face. Externally, she was looking at Phibrizzo passively. On the inside, a torrent of anger at her brother's insinuations was raging. _He's calling **me** soft! **Me!** I almost feel like decking him so that he could see how soft I really am!_

_Wait...'almost'? Shouldn't that be 'definitely'? I know how angry I'm getting...but my thoughts aren't cooperating with me! My life here is messing me up!_

"You haven't answered my question, Dolphin," Phibrizzo said, tapping his foot impatiently.

_Yes! Yes! A thousand times **yes**, you little flaming housefly! What proof is there that humanity's worth anything? My beliefs haven't changed a bit!_

_And yet why...why..._

_Why do I feel so frustrated? Why do I keep from answering his question?_

**Crash!**

"Nihao small boy, fish woman!"

The entire group, excluding Kasumi, collapsed. Upon pulling her face from the ground, Dolphin groaned mentally. _And why can't I have any dramatic moments around here? I'd even settle for one of those segues!_

-------------

_To be continued_


	30. Chapter Seventeen, Part B

WHAT INSERTION?

by Curtis Wildcat

_Chapter Seventeen, Part B ---- Sibling Attention_

----------

**(Cue theme)**

----------

Phibrizzo recovered from Shampoo's arrival first, brushing some dirt off his face. He should've expected her to show up, in retrospect. "It never fails," he commented dryly, seeing the latest entrance created by her arrival. "Where there's a Tendo Dojo, there's an Amazon." He turned to the Tendos, two of whom were still face-planted. "Which reminds me: where's Ranma?"

Akane's fists tightened at his name.

"In traction at Doctor Tofu's? Figures. Thanks," Phibrizzo said, turning towards Shampoo. Behind him, Akane and Nabiki finally got up. "If you came for Ranma, you're checking the wrong place."

Shampoo shook her head as Dolphin pushed herself up. "Shampoo not come for airen. Shampoo want to see fish woman."

Dolphin had a sign ready. 'They're mammals, not fish.'

"Yes," Shampoo said, "but 'fish woman' more catchy."

Dolphin closed her eyes for a few moments, exhaled, and shrugged helplessly. 'Fine. So, what did you want to see the 'fish woman' about'?'

As the two conversed, Phibrizzo edged over to the Tendos. "I don't get it," he whispered to them. "When did she have time to make all those signs? And for that matter, how'd she know that she would need to make them?"

Nabiki shrugged. "Where does Ryoga keep all those bandannas?"

"Why does something stupid always happen at the most inconvenient time?" Akane asked.

Kasumi thought for a moment before saying: "Where does father keep all his tears?"

Phibrizzo's mind worked for a few seconds before summing it up: "In Nerima, things happen because...they just do. There's no logic to life, and even the laws of gravity are broken." He slapped his forehead. "I think Dolphin's figured that out today. I've been trying to avoid partaking in any of this craziness, but to her it's like candy. She's had some, and she won't quit eating."

"And why _haven't_ you gotten caught up in any of this?" Akane asked him suspiciously. "You seem to attract trouble on your own."

"That's exactly why I _don't_ want to get involved with the stuff that goes on here." Phibrizzo shuffled his feet, staring at the ground. "We've got several bizarre love triangles, Ranma at the center of a _square_...if you needed a pentagon or hexagon, you could probably find it somewhere in there. You've got a duck with glasses, a minotaur with tentacles, a cat with conditioning, and a panda with...well, I don't know what Genma has, but whatever it is, he has it. Fights, duels, and brawls are considered the norm. The slightest mistake in a casual conversation, and you're out for a week..._not_ the way I want to live." He sighed. "I've already made a few enemies. I have no desire to add to them. I have a high tolerance for 'weird', but even I have limits."

As Phibrizzo finished, Dolphin and Shampoo were wrapping up their own conversation. The former was smirking a little, which wasn't good. 'Listen up, firebrat. The kitten here wants to see what I'm capable of, so...' A brief pause, and then a flip of the sign later: 'I'm gonna pop back home and grab Sunburst and Jetsam. It's...' Another flip. '...high-time you and I had a Pokémon battle.'

As the Tendos looked on, curious, Phibrizzo's mouth dropped in disbelief. "_Here?_ Now?"

Dolphin smiled innocently.

Phibrizzo fumed silently for a few moments, then snapped: "Look, bait breath, do I look like I'm on your level? Forget about it!"

'I don't care whether you're a slow-witted rookie or one of the Elite Four...' _Flip._ '...squirt. We're battling, and that's that.'

"Not even if you paid me, squid brains."

'Too bad, lava guts. I'm getting them anyway.'

"Who are you calling 'lava guts', you giant clownfish!?"

'_You_, dummy.'

Phibrizzo's fists clenched. "You know, I bet if someone put a stethoscope up to your head, they'd hear the ocean."

'A stetho-what?'

"Ha! Exactly! You've got water between your ears---no brains at all!"

'So says the kid who's backing out of a challenge.'

"I don't have time for this," Phibrizzo growled. "I'm outta---" His eyes widened. "Curtis, don't you dare! Stay out of there---"

Phibrizzo never completed his sentence, his eyes squeezing shut. In a flash his hair turned brown, and his stomach expanded a little. After several seconds, he recovered. "Okay, that's quite enough," he said, his tone a tinge deeper. "Both of you."

"Nihao, Curtis," Shampoo greeted him, waving.

"That's Curtis?" Nabiki asked. "I'd expected someone a little taller...and older. Didn't he say once that he was in college?"

"As long as he doesn't try anything," Akane stated, waving at Curtis, "he can stick around all day for all I care."

"Nice to meet you, Curtis," Kasumi greeted him.

Curtis waved back. "Hello to you too, Shampoo, everyone. And just for the record, Akane, I hate perversion almost as much as you. So don't worry about it." He returned his attention to Dolphin, whose eyebrow was arched at his appearance. "And you can quit your Spock impression, Dolphin. Phibrizzo's not in the mood to battle, but _I_ am."

'You're one of Phibrizzo's split personalities, right?' Dolphin inquired. 'And who's Spock?'

"No way and forget about it," Curtis said, answering each question. "Go on and warp back to Cerulean. I'd like a shot at this if _he_ doesn't."

'You're not him,' Dolphin answered. 'I'd like to see how my _brother_ measures up, not you.'

"Whether Phibrizzo uses him to battle or not, you'll be seeing the fruits of his labor either way," Curtis replied. "Flareon knows me enough to trust me. So, how about it? If you're not going to head over there, I will. After all, Misty hasn't seen me before; how would she feel if a complete stranger walked into the gym and asked to burrow Vaporeon?"

Dolphin's eyes narrowed. 'Don't push me too far.'

"Deal with it," Curtis said, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Until that battle's over with, I'm not switching back. Phibrizzo deserves a little cooldown time now and again, or else his temper would boil over. You know it. I know it. Phibrizzo know it."

The air was dead silent for several minutes as the two glared at each other. In the meantime, Curtis took a sandwich out of his pocket and started munching on it. "You know," he said in-between bites, "we have a few choices. We can stand here all afternoon and make funny faces at each other; you can retrieve Flareon and Jetsam so we can get this party started; or you can say that there's nothing to be gained from battling so early, and forget the whole thing."

Dolphin's glare hardened as she went over the facts in her head. After about half a minute, she made her decision. 'Do I have your word that I'll be able to battle him at a later date?'

"I don't make promises I can't keep," Curtis stated around a mouthful of sandwich. "And in this case, I _do_ promise. At some point in the next few months, you'll be able to battle him. My personal guarantee."

Smiling, Dolphin disappeared with a _snap-hiss._

--------

Curtis turned away from where Dolphin had been standing, smiling. _Well, this should be fun._

"If I was able to move my arms," Phibrizzo growled from the liquid pillar, "you wouldn't be saying that right now. Why do you keep doing that?"

Before Curtis could answer, someone placed a hand on his shoulder. Turning around, he saw Nabiki standing behind him. "Alright. Now, could someone explain exactly _what_ that was about? Who's Jetsam and Sunburst? Friends of yours?"

"In a manner of speaking," Curtis said. "Akane, you've seen what Dolphin's capable of, right?"

Akane nodded. "If you're talking about how she shot water from her hand, then yes."

"And you've heard what Phibrizzo can do, right?"

Akane considered this for a few moments. "I think I see what you're getting at. You mean Jetsam and Sunburst, whoever they are, can do the same things _they_ can?"

"As far as water and fire goes, yes. They may look cute, but appearances aren't everything...hmmm, just like Phibrizzo."

Curtis could hear Inuyasha chortling from his usual resting spot. Phibrizzo mumbled for a few seconds, then abruptly silenced himself, looking pensive. Curtis was sure he heard a quiet snicker from Shampoo's direction, but it didn't last long. "Anyway, when the action starts, stand back. This is fight you _don't_ want to get caught up in."

"If it's everything you say it is," Nabiki suggested, "then maybe you should take it out to the streets...or even better, the grounds of Furinkan High. We can keep property damage to a minimum this way."

"Good idea," Curtis said, nodding.

-------

As everyone---except Kasumi, who was asked to leave a message for Dolphin when she returned---headed back towards Furinkan High, Phibrizzo's thoughts occupied his time. _For Curtis to insist on battling, he must have confidence in Sunburst's abilities. I can believe that; with all those things from his homeworld, he has an advantage over someone who never even suspected that such creatures existed._

_There's still the matter of weaknesses, though. Naturally, water extinguishes fire. But still, if Flareon was able to win against Richie's Rhydon, despite the odds being against him..._

Phibrizzo's eyes lit up with determination. _If Sunburst's recent training pulls through, I think I can surprise her._

-------

"Curtis? Let me out."

Curtis's eyes widened just a little as he heard his host speak. Phibrizzo only used that tone when he was set on doing something important; no trace of his usual childishness existed. "You're sure? Just a few minutes ago, you were complaining your head off about _not_ wanting to battle."

As the others listened in on Curtis's side of the conversation, Phibrizzo answered him. "A few minutes ago, I didn't think a win was possible. But if someone like _you_ can be so sure of a win despite the odds, then what am _I_ thinking by being so adamant?"

Curtis smiled. "You still don't like me, do you?"

"I tolerate you," Phibrizzo said, smirking. "That doesn't mean I have to like you. The same goes for Inuyasha."

"I must be moving up," Inuyasha drawled, still sitting calmly. "A month ago, you wouldn't give me the time of day."

Curtis just shrugged. "At least it's better than full-blown revulsion," he muttered as he relinquished control.

As Phibrizzo faded from the pillar and reassumed control, Inuyasha glanced at Curtis briefly before returning his attention to the outside world. "And you're alright with this?"

"As long as he keeps a level head, yes," Curtis said, ambling towards the exit. "But ultimately it's his choice to make. And personally, I agree with Dolphin. I'd like to see how he measures up, too."

------

Half-concerned that having Shampoo and Akane in close proximity of each other would be disastrous, Nabiki had kept her eye on them both as the traversed the distance between the dojo and the school. Thankfully, neither of them seemed inclined to start fighting over Ranma...particularly since he'd put his foot in his mouth that afternoon and ultimately wound up at Dr. Tofu's clinic. Oddly enough, Shampoo's gaze was riveted on Curtis...and then Phibrizzo, as the boy's hair and weight returned to normal. Nabiki wondered what exactly was going through her mind.

Akane was curious about the battle that Curtis and Dolphin talked about, and was looking forward to it. She didn't know much about it, but she guessed it was a popular thing back wherever it was that Dolphin lived. _She never did say where she was from. How come?_

Shampoo was wondering whether or not it might be prudent, as an Amazon, to form an alliance with Phibrizzo (and the others by proxy). Not only did interesting things happen while he was around, but he had some amazing abilities as well. About the only thing that needed fixing was his attitude.

Phibrizzo was eating the sandwich that was still in his hand. _Mmm...bologna with mayonnaise._

------

Time: Ten minutes later

Dolphin warped back to the Tendo Dojo, having obtained what she needed to get. _Okay, that chubby little kid better be ready---hey, where'd he go?_ She took in the surrounding area, finally spotting Kasumi near the door. Thinking for a moment, she held up a sign. 'Did you see Phibrizzo and the others anyplace?'

"They went over to the high school, Miss Aqua," Kasumi replied. "They didn't want any extra damage being done, beyond what's already there."

'That crazy swordsman won't be around, will he?'

Kasumi smiled. "Who knows?"

Secretly dreading another chance encounter with the delusional Kuno---not that they weren't _all_ delusional---Dolphin threw her hands in the air in disbelief before warping over to the school grounds.

Upon her arrival, the mazoku took in her surroundings. The two Tendo sisters were standing off to one side near the school itself, while Shampoo was standing near the gate...as far away from each other as they could get. Phibrizzo was waiting between them...not Curtis, she noticed. 'Change your mind, brother? How come?'

"I don't need to explain to the likes of you," Phibrizzo said quietly, his irises a bright green.

Dolphin smirked. 'Confidence issues, huh?'

"Put that sign away before I snap it in half," was the huffy response Phibrizzo gave. "Just get them out and let's go for it."

Dolphin nodded, then reached into subspace and pulled out the two Poké Balls that had been stored there. Without activating it, she tossed one of them to Phibrizzo before pulling out another sign. 'Let's get down to business. Are you ready?'

"As I ever will be," Phibrizzo said, the fires of determination evident in his eyes. "Let's do this! Go---"

"Phibrizzo? Who are these people?" someone asked. "And where's my taxi?"

Dolphin turned, not recognizing the yellow-clad, umbrella-carrying woman who'd just walked out of the building and nearly startled Akane half to death. Phibrizzo knew who she was, though; she could see the sweatdrop as it rolled down his face. "Principal Valen," he groaned, "what are you doing in Nerima?"

'Valen' frowned. "This is Nerima? I thought I was in Beika...or at least I was a few minutes ago."

A mushroom-shaped breath escaped Phibrizzo's mouth as he sighed, annoyed. "Miss Principal...you forgot your compass, didn't you?"

Realizing this, the woman laughed; the sound of it set everyone's nerves on edge for a few seconds. Dolphin didn't understand why; sure, it was annoying, but it wasn't quite borderline irritating. "Guess I pulled a Ryoga," Phibrizzo's principal explained. "I finished at school just now and went out to signal a taxi, but I didn't get ten steps out before I realized I'd left my compass in my office. I went back to get it, and...well..." She laughed again, this time a twinge helplessly. "You know the rest of the story. So, how'd _you_ get out here so quick?"

"Teleportation."

Valen's smile froze for a few seconds before fading. "I should've just guessed. Can someone take me back to Beika? Please? Just because I'm related to Ryoga doesn't mean I'm into globetrotting."

Phibrizzo's eyes narrowed. "Let's get this over with," he said, walking over to Valen and grabbing her wrist. There was a brief _snap-hiss_ as the two vanished from sight.

"So he really _does_ teleport," Akane told herself. "Must run in the family."

"Same goes for Ryoga and that woman," Nabiki said. "Must be hard to hold down a job with a trait like that."

Before Shampoo could make her own thoughts known, Phibrizzo popped back in. After taking a few seconds to steady himself---this had been his third teleport in as many minutes, the sandwich he'd eaten notwithstanding---he again took hold of Sunburst's Poké Ball. "One more time," he stated. "Let's get to it---"

"Hey," a voice growled. "Where's the old freak?"

Everyone turned to see Taro standing at the gate in his normal form. Phibrizzo muttered something inaudible before stating: "Happo-Psycho isn't here right now. My sister dropped him someplace." Realizing something, he turned to Dolphin and asked: "By the way, where _did_ you drop him?"

Dolphin smiled.

"Well? What about it, Dolphin?"

A smirk.

"Come on, scales-for-skin. Spit it out."

The smirk widened into a grin.

Phibrizzo's eye twitched. "You think this is funny, don't you? Just say it! Where'd you leave the ancient freak?"

Dolphin couldn't contain it anymore. She bowed her head and began shaking violently, leading Akane and the others to wonder if she was having convulsions; their fears disappeared when they found out she was _laughing_. Inaudibly, yes, but laughing nonetheless.

Phibrizzo groaned and turned back to Taro, who was looking on with a mix of amusement and apprehension. "Sorry, Taro. The only one who knows isn't talking. Do you have a minute?"

"Maybe," Taro answered after thinking for several moments. "Just don't take too long, kid." He leaned against the wall and waited.

Phibrizzo marched over to the still-laughing Dolphin and tapped her shin with his foot. Narrowing his eyes when that didn't work, he grabbed Jetsam's Poké Ball, pulled her mouth open---cutting her off in mid-laugh---and somehow managed to cram the Poké Ball between her lips. "Shut up, already!" he growled. "I asked you a serious question, and all I wanted was an answer...not pantomimed hysterics!"

Glaring at Phibrizzo, Dolphin pulled out a sign. 'You need some serious help, brother. And as for your question...' She flipped the sign over as she turned to face Taro. 'I dropped him off in the ocean, somewhere...southeast of Tokyo, I think.' _Flip_. 'I'm not too clear on the direction, unfortunately.'

Taro shrugged. "Oh, well. That's still the best lead I've gotten all day," he said, turning to run down the street.

Shortly after Dolphin pulled out a sign that read: 'Not even a thank you, huh?', she whacked Phibrizzo across the schoolyard with it. She knew it wouldn't harm him due to his bizarre genetic makeup, but she felt she'd been rudely interrupted in the worst way.

Shampoo tensed somewhat, but calmed down when she saw that Phibrizzo pulled himself up without any trouble. "Weird family," she told herself. "Show sibling affection in odd ways."

Dolphin's sharp hearing overheard Shampoo's comment, but she didn't respond as she tried to force the Poké Ball out of her mouth. Finally succeeding, she rubbed the device with some anti-bacterial cleanser in an attempt to clean it off.

Phibrizzo prepared himself one more time. "Okay. Pokémon Battle, take three. And...actio---"

"Daughter of Triton, niece of Neptune, hear my voice! If the evil designs of Saotome should overcome thee, I shall---"

"Get lost! _Gum Gum Stamp!_" Phibrizzo shouted, kicking the persistent Tatewaki Kuno out of the schoolyard before he could get any further. Normally he didn't resort to such an action against Kuno, but he was getting sick of the delay.

As the unstable swordsman disappeared down the street, Nabiki looked on as Phibrizzo started hyperventilating. "Are...you okay?"

_Apparently not, _she decided a second later as Phibrizzo threw his head back and screamed: **_"Any more interruptions!?"_**

Dead silence. No birds or crickets chirped. Even the wind stopped. Phibrizzo calmed down and smiled. "Good. Without further ado..." With the touch of a button he released Sunburst, who came prepared to battle.

-----

Taking in Nabiki and Akane's disbelieving stares and ignoring Shampoo's interest, Dolphin released Jetsam from its confinement. 'Alright, Jetsam. It's showtime,' she spoke silently, smiling.

From the pitch of the Vaporeon's reply, Dolphin could tell that she was anxious to battle as much as Flareon was. 'I can tell you're all set. Now---'

Before Dolphin could give Jetsam her orders, Curtis's voice---emanating from where Phibrizzo was standing---interrupted her. "This exhibition match between Phibrizzo Kaden of Tokyo and Lauren Aqua/Deep Sea Dolphin of Cerulean City will now begin. There will be a time limit of six minutes. The victory will go to whichever Pokémon is still standing, or will be decided based on pre-determined criteria if time runs out. Are both trainers ready?"

"Who made _you_ referee, pillowhead?" Phibrizzo said hotly. Dolphin rolled her eyes; he almost always reverted to form when under stress.

"Face it, Phibrizzo---aside from you and Dolphin, I'm the only one here with passable knowledge of Pokémon," Curtis answered, ignoring the insult. "Just let me look on and officiate. You won't even know I'm here until the match ends."

"I've known you were here for several months now," Phibrizzo growled, but otherwise let the matter go.

"Details. Anyhow, _let the match begin!_"

**(BGM: Standard Pokémon battle music)**

Not knowing where the music was coming from but not caring much either, Dolphin was quick to get the battle rolling. 'Test Flareon's defense, Jetsam. Water Gun.'

The Vaporeon complied with the order, essentially turning into a living fire hose as she got things under way. Smart enough not to stand in its path, Sunburst jumped out of the way...and let his trainer get drenched to whatever passed for bones.

Phibrizzo shook his face free of water and pushed some hair out of his eyes. "Mental note: when the battle starts, make sure your Pokémon isn't standing in front of you," he murmured before shouting: "Let's show her a few tricks! Quick Attack!"

Although Flareon's speed wasn't up to par with other Pokémon its size, it still resembled a blur as it scampered towards Jetsam in a zigzag pattern. Inwardly impressed but not showing it, Dolphin took full advantage of her "adjusted silence". 'Ice Beam. Freeze the ground solid.' _Six minutes? This match will be over in two!_

Without waiting for Sunburst to get any closer, Jetsam leaped into the air and blasted the ground with its Ice Beam attack. Almost immediately, a large section of the battlefield was flash-frozen, sending Flareon skidding into the school wall.

Akane winced. _At the speed that thing was running, that had to have hurt._

Her worries were unfounded; Flareon was able to pull itself back to reality in just a few seconds. Akane didn't know this, but most Pokémon were made of some pretty stern stuff; they'd need to be in order to pull off some of the attacks they'd use.

"We can't let that ice stop us," Phibrizzo mused aloud. "Blaze Pogo!"

Racing back towards the ice, Sunburst fired a burst of flame straight at the ground. The resulting explosion and recoil launched him into the air, and he started spitting successive fireballs at the frozen ground to keep himself airborne. In mid-flight he directed one of the fireballs at Vaporeon, who effortlessly twisted out of the attack's path.

"A few more times, Sunburst!" Phibrizzo called. "Just wait for my signal!"

As the mid-air attacks continued and Jetsam continued to dodge, Dolphin's mind was busy working on a strategy. _I see what he's planning...he's using his flames to melt the ice. Does he even realize that'll only help me?_ 'Let's go Surfing, now.'

Vaporeon's cry was almost a howl. Almost seeming to be a mirage, a huge wave of water formed around it from all the melted ice. It knew as well as Dolphin did that Sunburst couldn't stay airborne forever; and even if it could, its fire attacks would be worthless against Jetsam's arsenal---

"Go for it, Sunburst!" Phibrizzo cried out. "_Shadow Ball!_"

At approximately the same time that Jetsam released the wave, Flareon landed and switched attacks. Upon answering Vaporeon's yell with his own, a sphere of dark energy coalesced in front of his mouth and blasted its way forward. The orb went _through_ the gigantic wave and struck Jetsam, and a brief explosion filled the air with dust and grit...whatever of it, that is, was untouched by Vaporeon's attack as it continued on its path.

When the dust cloud cleared and the water faded into the ground, a sopping-wet Sunburst was sprawled across the dirt. Drinking it was one thing; getting wiped out by it was something else. To Flareon, water was just as bad as any physical attack.

Across from the fire-type stood Vaporeon, panting heavily. Dolphin frowned; she'd had Jetsam participate in a few battles, but this had been the first time any serious damage had been done. She'd have to be more wary of surprises in the future, and concentrate on upping her friend's defense. _Hmm...wasn't there this defensive move that her species specialized in? I'll need to look into that._

"The winner in two minutes: Deep Sea Dolphin!" Curtis's voice declared. Those that were watching applauded mildly; to them it was good enough to qualify as a battle, but not _quite_ Nerima-caliber.

At least, not _yet_.

-----

Phibrizzo slowly nodded, lowering his head as he recalled Sunburst into his Poké Ball. _All that confidence, for nothing. I should've known that Dolphin and Vaporeon were too much._

"Don't slap yourself too much," Inuyasha said. "The battle turned out pretty well, considering who you were up against."

"We can't always win," Curtis added. "If we were the best at everything, where would the challenge be?"

_I suppose...but still..._ Phibrizzo remained silent as he trudged forward and handed Flareon's Poké Ball back to Dolphin, who recalled Jetsam as well. "You win this time, Dolphin."

As Shampoo and the others---still a little wound up from having witnessed a Pokémon battle for the first time in their lives---looked on, Dolphin stashed the two Pokémon in temporary subspace storage before bringing herself down to eye level. 'Trust me,' she said, deciding to use her notepad. 'You'll catch up eventually.'

Phibrizzo kept his gaze riveted on the ground a few seconds longer before looking at her. "Dolphin, tell me something," he said quietly; unnoticed, Nabiki took a few steps closer to hear the conversation. "You seem to have it off much better than me. Am I ever going to catch up to you?"

Dolphin smiled. 'That's for you to decide. If you want to defeat that Domino woman, the choice is clear.' She reached over and hugged him. _Shame you can't hear me say this...I'm having problems believing it, myself...but you have my support, brother._

"Excuse me, Dolphin?" Phibrizzo asked---and immediately, Dolphin was put on edge. That wasn't Phibrizzo's usual tone of voice... "As much as I appreciate the hug, could you let me go?"

Dolphin noticed, out the corner of her eye, that one of the tufts of hair was brown---and immediately, she released him and backpedalled several feet, her angry eyes as wide as grapefruit. She whipped out a sign that read: 'Don't _do_ that!'

"Sorry," Curtis said apologetically, "but there's a few things I need to talk to you about."

------

Shampoo wasn't sure what to think of the time she spent watching Dolphin and Phibrizzo hang around. By the time she was on her way back to the Nekohanten, she was wondering if they would be interested in a loose alliance. With some misgivings, though, she decided otherwise; any trouble that bothered the Amazons would have to go to _them_, and that wasn't good enough for her. It was something to keep in mind, though.

Nabiki had caught Phibrizzo's question to Dolphin, and that got her thinking about stuff. Despite putting up a decent challenge in that strange little battle, he seemed to have some problems with his self-confidence. An image of Ranma and Phibrizzo fighting each other passed through her head, and she fought to keep the smirk off her face; somehow, she couldn't imagine either of them getting ticked off enough to fight each other.

_Wait...Phibrizzo can absorb energy, right? Maybe that one attack of Ranma's can help with his self-esteem a little...I guess it's worth remembering, if there's some way to profit off it. That is, assuming that I **can** profit off it._

As they walked back home, Nabiki noticed Akane's thoughtful expression. _With Ranma, it's easy to tell how she feels. As far as Phibrizzo and Curtis go, though, it's not so simple. They're not out trying to find someone to hit on; they just enjoy the atmosphere, for the most part. Besides, Phibrizzo looks like the isolated, loner type. If anything, both Akane and Kasumi should be sympathetic towards him. Could that be why Akane forgave him so easily for his comments, back when those mutated rats were roaming around town?_

---------

Before long, only Curtis and Dolphin remained in the schoolyard. After the Tendos and Shampoo were no longer in earshot, Curtis finally spoke. "I have a few questions for you, Dolphin. First off, why are you being so supportive of Phibrizzo? I thought you two didn't like each other."

Deciding not to use her newfound 'instant sign' ability, Dolphin went with her notepad instead. 'Where'd you get that idea? I mean...sure, he fed me food that was too spicy for me to handle, but that was only once.'

"Well," Curtis said, his right eyebrow arching a little, "if you really _are_ Deep Sea Dolphin, servant of Ruby Eye Shabranigdu, I thought your relationship with him would be a bit more strained."

Dolphin almost dropped the notepad in shock. _How...he...where did...what..._ Her handwriting became a bit more sloppy. 'Where'd you learn of that? Did Phibrizzo tell you!?'

"He didn't need to," Curtis told her. "Let's just say where I'm from, there's a lot of fiction about you people. You didn't answer my question."

As he spoke, Dolphin had to restrain herself from lashing out. _Someone learned the secret that I've been trying to keep the last few months...! A lot of fiction...bah!_ 'So, are you saying it's wrong to support him?'

"I'm not saying that at all," said Curtis, double-checking to see if any leftover students were at the school windows. "In fact, I encourage it. It just strikes me as strange. I'd first thought you'd be on him like tartar sauce on a fish stick, back when you first learned he was living with a human family. You _are_ a mazoku, after all, and mazoku aren't exactly known for their good relations with people."

The grip on Dolphin's pen tightened. 'You wouldn't understand. You don't know what it's like to live in an unfamiliar world...a place where everything is new, and you feel totally lost...'

"You and Phibrizzo aren't the only ones who're dimensionally misplaced," Curtis answered, "so I have a pretty good idea. For me, it's an escape from the realities of life. For you, it's free will. I actually got to speak with the Lord of Nightmares a few months ago..." He went on, ignoring Dolphin's 'landed Magikarp' impression. "...and she told me that when mazoku are seperated from their home reality, their connections there are severed; I figured out later that their purpose in life isn't as clear anymore. Before your bout with madness, you were battling it out with humans and dragons alike in order to reduce the world to dust. Now, since you've had plenty of good experiences with humans, you're at a bit of a crossroads. You don't know whether to return to the life you've led before, or find a new path to travel."

Dolphin's eyes narrowed. 'And you'd know this because...?'

"Phibrizzo's struggling to make that same decision. He just won't admit it."

Dolphin almost laughed. 'He _is_? The same little hellion who used to talk down his nose to everyone, deceive everyone around him with his childish acts, and destroy his enemies in a heartbeat is trying to come to grips with a new lifestyle? That's hysterical! I'll bet _you've_ been a big influence on him, huh?'

Curtis shrugged. "If Inuyasha and I hadn't been there, Phibrizzo would've been wiped from reality while _you_ would've been wallowing in gloom, despair, and agony for who knows how long. So, yeah; I'd say you both owe us. For that matter, you owe the Lord of Nightmares as well; she could've ignored me and let Phibrizzo die, but instead she dropped him---and us---into this universe. If I had to wager a guess from that timeline you gave us in February, you got here the same way."

For some reason, the nightmarish images and sensations that only she could see and feel left Dolphin with a sickening taste in her mouth. Even several months after she recovered, the emotional scars still hadn't faded; and secretly, she dreaded being trapped in the same state forever. She hated doing nothing; she couldn't even subsist on her own dark feelings. To a mazoku like her, that was the ultimate blow.

Sighing, she hung her head and continued scribbling half-heartedly. 'I should be going. I can't stand to talk to you anymore; it's making me ill.'

"I understand," Curtis told her quietly. "One thing before you go: if you want to keep Misty from finding out about this conversation, you may want to destroy the pages you were writing on."

'Just as well...this pad's almost used up, anyway.' Without any further words, Dolphin shouldered her duffel bag and teleported away.

------

"Congratulations," Phibrizzo grumbled from inside the liquid pillar. "Your talk is so bad, you've actually made a mazoku sick to its stomach. If that's not an insult, I don't know what is."

_I tell it like it is, Phibrizzo. I don't like lying or shading the truth; you know that._ Curtis thought about teleporting back home, but stopped before he could. _You know, she never did answer my question._

"You mean we have to go through that again?" Phibrizzo snarled. "I've had enough of this for one day. I let you have your fun; now, just let me out so I can go home!"

"Stressed out, huh?" Inuyasha asked, a plate of food sitting next to him and some chopsticks in his hands. "Try taking a nap."

"Easy for you to say..."

As he was saying this, Phibrizzo felt himself regain control. Shaking his head and preparing himself for the energy loss the teleportation would incur, he warped back home. Right now he just wanted to rest and wait for dinner before doing his homework; this afternoon had been too much.

_Great...I'm still soaked, too._

--------

Location: Cerulean City Gym

Time: Late that evening

Long past the time when she normally would've been asleep, Dolphin sat awake inside the gym's main room. From her perch on the diving board, she stared out the windows at the distant stars. Her conversations with Phibrizzo and Curtis had left her much to think about.

_I never thought I'd be able to hold a civil conversation with a human and not have anything malicious to think about him. I guess this shows how far down I've fallen, if I'm willing to stoop that low._

_Wait, hold on a second. Misty's human. Time and time again, I've wanted to thank her in some way for everything she's done for me since she found me here. She's helped me get acquainted with life in this world, whether she knows it or not. The thing is, she's everything I'm not. My race thinks of humans as nothing more than roaches, so why can't I bring myself to harbor any animosity? I'm Deep Sea Dolphin, one of Ruby Eye's five servants, and I can't even do something as simple as feel hatred! That miserable human friend of Phibrizzo's must be messing with my mind!_

_And yet I feel so...detached. Why am I here, seperated from my world? There's no explanation on hand---_

_Wait, hold on again. Those recollections of screaming, hearing nothing and seeing nothing but my own turmoil and images that wouldn't fade...and then...a wave of energy envelops me, reaching deep inside and soothing me. I'd never felt such a thing in my life. And then I noticed, for the first time since I lost my mind, that I was infinitely exhausted and that my reservoirs of power were totally empty; I must've been unconsciously using them ever since that day, long ago. My eyes felt as if they'd been weighted. Those were my last conscious thoughts as darkness claimed me..._

_But when I finally woke up, I wasn't where I started._

Dolphin scarcely noticed when Vaporeon, aware that its master was awake and beside herself, silently climbed up the steps to the diving board and manuevered itself onto her lap. _When I choose to sleep here, I don't dream...or if I **do** dream, I don't remember them. It could be that I'm never asleep long enough for the dreams to start...I usually don't spend more than four hours in slumber. What does it mean? I'm so close to an answer, I can almost taste it..._

_Maybe it means that I'm really asleep, and that all this is one big dream in itself. But that shouldn't be true. Mazoku don't dream...at least, not in the conventional sense. Then what? Was I brought here the same way Curtis says Phibrizzo was: via the Lord of Nightmares herself? If the outburst of power was strong enough to restore my sanity, it could've taken me here at the same time...no, he couldn't have been telling the whole truth. The starting point was at wherever Phibrizzo was at the time; that's probably too far away from my palace, assuming I was there. Rrrghh, there are too many factors here!_

_But I **was** exhausted...and there's no doubt that the energy **did** affect me, even if it didn't truly transport me..._

Dolphin's eyes widened as a new thought took hold. _But what if I truly **am** asleep..._ She shuddered. _Or worse, comatose? What if that energy not only re-awakened my mind, but pushed me to the very edge of oblivion? This world, these creatures, even my very abilities..._

_Am I permenantly trapped...in a massive---_

A violent chill raced up her spine, this one not linked to her thoughts. Dolphin gazed down and noticed that Jetsam had bitten into her arm. Tapping Jetsam a few times to get the Pokémon's attention, she mouthed: 'Okay, what was the point of that?'

Jetsam let go of Dolphin's arm. The force it had used wasn't on par with a Bite attack, but it had still been enough to startle the mazoku out of her musings. 'Why must you always be so introspective when I'm trying to talk to you?'

Dolphin smiled apologetically. 'Sorry. I've just had a lot to think about.'

Jetsam gave her the Vaporeon equivalent of a shrug. 'Well, if you need me for anything, I'm right here.'

_Back home, everyone dreaded being in my presence,_ Dolphin thought as she laid against the diving board, letting her limbs hang limp. _I never asked for any opinions from my servants or allies, and they were too scared to offer any of their own choice...understandable. I don't know if it's because I can't change my present appearance or if my mind is being reworked, but I think I'm beginning to understand how humans truly feel when they have someone to look to. It's...rather enlightening, enjoyable, pleasing..._ She expelled a silent sigh. _Maybe I should see if I could get a doctor's opinion._

For a few moments she just stared upwards, having finished her mental analysis. She next turned her thoughts as to what she could do. _I think I'll just go to sleep at three and wake up at seven, instead of nine and one. What should I do until then? I could find that deck of cards and play solitaire...finish that book by Dr. Quackenpoker on Magikarp migration patterns..._

Jetsam stood up and manuevered herself until she was staring right into Dolphin's face. She didn't respond.

_...see if I can find enough dominos to circle the main hallway..._

Jetsam then walked across Dolphin's face and onto the diving board, then turned to see if her trainer responded. Again, she never even twitched.

_...I could think up practical jokes to use on any incoming gym challengers..._

Rolling her eyes, the Vaporeon took note of Dolphin's hair. She was resting on most of it, but one of the ponytails was hanging loose over the edge of the board.

_...keep track of how many tiles are on the floor around the pool..._

Jetsam tensed itself, waited a few moments, then jumped off the board. On her way down she attempted to attach herself to the dangling ponytail, and finally succeeded by latching on with her teeth before she fell out of reach.

The unexpected weight threw Dolphin's balance out of alignment, and she nearly rolled off the board. Scrambling wildly, she was able to grab it before she fell into the water. 'Jetsam, you know I hate that! Let go of my hair!'

Jetsam's reply, muffled as it was by a mouthful of hair, was unintelligible; Dolphin thought she heard a challenging note in there, though. Undoing the clasps that held her ponytails in place, she replied: 'Whatever it is you just said, you're on!'

Hearing this, Jetsam let go and plunged into the pool. Dolphin clambered back onto the board, then took a few backwards steps in preparation for a dive...and forgot that when unbound, her hair was longer than she was tall. Her head jerked backwards and her shoes lost any traction they had, resulting in a sideways, unartistic fall into the water.

'Real graceful,' Jetsam crooned, finishing with a pseudo-snicker.

"Shut up and swim," Dolphin muttered, her voice audible once again.

As Jetsam propelled itself away like a missile---and as Dolphin tore through the water after it---the mazoku told herself: "If I ever set foot in that city again, it'll be too soon. Still, those people ought to be respectful to me in the future, considering where I sent that ancient sicko..."

-------

Location: Several miles away from the Seafoam Islands

Time: Several minutes later

"Glad that Giovanni sent me here to investigate that strange energy signature," Domino told herself as several grunts finished hauling up several nets. "Otherwise, we would've missed those Carvanha sightings. These things will make underwater missions easier in the future." She smiled wryly. "I guess I give the boss too little credit sometimes. Those fish are going to be major pains when they evolve."

As the trapped Carvanha were captured one by one in various Poké Balls, Domino took note of something that was ensnared within one of the nets. An eyebrow went up as she saw the form of a shrunken little man. "That's strange. It looks human, but it's smaller than Crobat. Hmm...looks like these things were trying to take a bite out of him."

"What should we do, 009?" one of the grunts asked.

Domino shrugged. "Drop him off somewhere when we return to the Islands. We can't exactly take him with us." She leaned closer to examine him. "_Man_, he looks old. What's an old guy like him doing in the middle of the ocean?"

Abruptly, the man's eyes popped open.

-------

Time: Several more minutes later

Location: Team Rocket HQ

"Excuse me, sir...we've just received a message from Agent 009."

Giovanni nodded. "What did she report?"

"Actually, she didn't say anything about her objectives."

An eyebrow went up. "Then what was it she needed? Clarification?"

"Um...no, sir. It's just that...well..."

"Well, what?"

"Those two agents you called in from Johto were present in the receiving room at the time. The transmission was specifically directed towards you, and they're demanding that you kick her out of Team Rocket permenantly. As it was, several grunts had to be admitted to Medical just from hearing the transmission."

Giovanni sighed. "Get to the point. What was the message?"

There was some hesitation. "It was...an extremely long stream of profanity, sir. Something about an old man and a giant winged Tauros. We couldn't make any sense of it."

Even Giovanni's Persian had the nerve to sweatdrop upon hearing this. The boss himself shook his head. "Just send in the agents. I'll worry about 009's insubordinance later."

---------

_Chapter Seventeen concluded. Chapter Eighteen soon to commence_

Author's Notes

The diving-board stunt Phibrizzo was doing at the start of the chapter was true. Years ago I used to take swimming lessons at a high school pool. Once before one of the lessons, one of the instructors started doing exactly the same thing. Kind of fun to watch, actually.

The mystery of who keeps drinking Dolphin's coffee continues. Heh, heh.

The line "You know it. I know it. Phibrizzo know it" was intentional. It's actually a reference to an old episode of _Space Ghost Coast to Coast_, where Moltar made his dissatisfaction with the script known by using a similar line.

It wasn't until after I typed it in that I realized there was a pun in the line "A cat with conditioning". Consider who it's referring to for a few moments.

Answer me this: when playing the Pokémon games, have you ever wondered how Surf, as a battle move, could be used in areas _without any water?_

I try not to complain when others use profanity, but I don't use it myself; I have my limits, and I believe it's possible to communicate without it. That's the main reason why I didn't quote Domino's message verbatim; I figured it was easier to imagine the aftereffects of her encounter with Happosai...whom, I might add, I don't really like.

For the next month or so, story progress is going to be really slow. Two of the classes I'm taking right now are accelerated online courses: twelve weeks worth of material crammed into six, not counting Thanksgiving break. Be patient with me until then. Man...I _hate_ trigonometry.

Onward to chapter eighteen...


	31. Chapter Eighteen

WHAT INSERTION?

by Curtis Wildcat

_Chapter Eighteen --- Shark Teeth_

----------

**(Cue theme)**

----------

Location: Somewhere in northern Nevada, U.S.A.

Time: April 6, 1996; late afternoon

A large, burly man with scraggly black hair and a pointed nose jerked out of a sound sleep. Several feet away from him, his telephone was ringing loudly. Muttering, he grabbed the receiver. "Hello?" he snarled loudly. "...You did? Took you long enough...yeah, I know she practically disappeared off the map last year, but that's still no excuse. You'll get your pay, but you'll only get your bonus if..._that_ far away? That's hard to believe...very well. Expect your paycheck in the morning."

The man smiled mirthlessly as he hung up the phone. "Just sit tight, little girl. Daddy's coming to get you. This will teach you to run out on the family."

--------

Location: Local recreation center, Tokyo

Time: April 9, 1996; 4:12p.m.

Down at the tennis court, Phibrizzo was becoming a common sight.

Typically two or three times a week, he'd show up and practice on his own. His apparent skills were impressive enough to attract other local tennis players to the courts; and, more often than not, he'd work his way to a win. He'd overheard from a few people that he could try to turn professional by the time he hit high school.

The first time he'd heard this, Phibrizzo was mentally laughing at the thought of attending high school at _his_ size. The second time, he'd ignored the school aspect and focused on what they were saying. Even now, a few weeks after he'd first heard it, it sounded like a very _unlikely_ possibility.

As a group of seven people watched him practice on his own, Phibrizzo allowed his concentration to deviate just enough to speak with his 'parasites'. _I'm still not sure about this whole 'turning professional' thing. Don't you have to look a certain age?_

"You have to _act_ like it, too," Inuyasha remarked, reading a small book entitled: _200 Ways to Play Solitaire_. "I don't know much about the sport, but I think they judge people based on their maturity."

"Amongst other things," Curtis mumbled, ignoring the tennis practice for the most part and watching a basketball game instead.

_I'm better off asking **Dolphin** for advice, _Phibrizzo muttered.

"I don't pay a lot of attention to tennis, Phibrizzo," Curtis said, picking up his voice a little. "And Inuyasha has a point. If you look and act like a kid at the point where you go pro, there will be plenty of managers and sports agents out there who will take advantage of you."

_In that case, I'll find something else to do with my---_

"If it isn't little Mr. Manners," a familiar voice greeted him from the door.

Just like when Curtis switched out on him while the ball was in-flight, Phibrizzo's concentration was broken long enough for a ball to smack him in the face.

"Mr. Manners? I thought his name was Phibrizzo Kaden. You mean you forgot so soon?" another voice asked.

"Kronk, I know what his name is."

"Oh. That's a relief. I mean, you don't forget a name like his easily..."

Rubbing his nose, Phibrizzo turned to regard a pair of faces he hadn't seen since he'd first met them: those belonging to Nami Keeler and Jonathan Kronk, attorneys-at-law. "Hi there, Kronk, Miss Keeler. Tennis practice, or does someone want to sue me?"

Nami laughed. "It wouldn't surprise me if someone did, but no. It's the first choice. Trust me; if someone wants to sue you, we'll be the first to let you know."

"Right," Phibrizzo agreed. "In any case, you versus me. On the court. Right now."

"What are you talking about?" Nami asked, frowning. "I came here because I've been hearing rumors that this kid tennis player's been tearing up the court. Does this mean that _you're_ the person they're talking about?"

Phibrizzo glanced behind him out of curiousity, then turned back to Nami. "Court seems okay to me."

Nami sweatdropped. "If you play tennis as well as you talk, this should be a fun match."

Phibrizzo chuckled to himself before answering: "Alright, let's get started." He backed towards the opposite side of the court. "Remember what I said before: using pepper breath is illegal."

"Uh, Phibrizzo..." Kronk started to say, dropping the equipment bag he'd been carrying.

"I haven't had anything spicy to eat in several days," Nami told him testily, "so you can just forget about using that insult."

"Take away my fun, why don't you..." Phibrizzo murmured, rolling his eyes.

"Phibrizzo---"

Phibrizzo sighed, annoyed. This quickly turned into a startled cry as he fell backwards over the net, landing with his feet dangling in the air.

Nami shook her head. "All those who saw that one coming," she groused, "raise your hand."

Everyone in the room, sans Phibrizzo himself, raised their hands. From the floor, the half-mazoku grumbled: "What do you want, Kronk?"

"Phibrizzo, watch out for that net."

"Oh, thanks a _lot_." Phibrizzo rolled to his feet. "Can we just get started, now?"

-------

Time: Ten minutes later

Several people jumped as the recreation center doors slammed shut. Behind the desk the clerk trembled, looking on as the _largest_ man he'd ever seen---barring sumo wrestlers, of course---marched into the center.

The man easily exceeded six feet; that by itself would make him stand out in a crowd. He had thick, scraggly black hair that was left unbound. His nose was practically sharp enough to poke holes in paper. On top of that, he looked strong enough to turn an I-beam into a pretzel. He wore a green long-sleeved shirt decorated with black star-bursts, which went well with his olive-green pants and wristbands. When he spoke, it was with a raspy snarl. "I hear there's a little tennis phenom in the area. Which way to the court? I'd like to watch."

------

"Alright," Kronk announced as Phibrizzo retrieved a ball that had gone past him. "The score's tied at three. You're playing up to six, aren't you?"

Nami confirmed it with a nod, catching the ball when Phibrizzo threw it back at her. "It's been fun so far. I hope it stays that way when I win."

"You haven't won yet," the kid shot back. "There's still a few tricks you haven't seen yet. You want to see them?"

"You mean you actually have something I haven't seen yet?" Nami asked, laughing a little. "I used to play professionally back home. There's just not that many stunts left. Now, here goes!"

------

As the large man calmly strolled towards the courts, he scarcely even noticed the half-dozen or so people lined up just inside. He already knew that his target was at the court, so he figured that they were waiting for a chance to play against her.

Spending a few seconds watching the match, it became obvious to him that it wasn't _her_ they were watching; it was the kid. The little brat reacted quickly whenever the ball came his way, either making diving saves or pivoting on his feet to send the ball rocketing back across the net. So far it wasn't anything his opponent had trouble with, but it was still something to watch.

After glancing quickly at the man standing at one side of the court---whom he remembered as a strong, yet dense athlete with a powerful serve---he decided to make his move.

_You've had your fun, little girl, but now it's time to come home!_

-----

As Nami and Phibrizzo continued to exchange volleys, Inuyasha immediately took note of the large man that was edging towards Nami. "Can't she hear the guy? Forget hearing...can't she _see_ him?"

"She's too engrossed in the match to pay attention," Curtis replied. "Phibrizzo, it's not looking pretty out there."

_Already on it!_

As Nami paced over a few steps to intercept the tennis ball as it bounced towards her, Phibrizzo anticipated which way the ball was going to go before dashing a few meters to the right. He released his right hand from the racquet and snatched the ball as it came towards him; before anyone could complain about unfairness, he tossed it into the air and smashed it over the net. Eyes widening, Nami ducked her head...

...just in time as Nami's would-be captor got a faceful of tennis ball and fell backwards to the floor.

-----

Nami frowned. _What was the point of that? You don't just grab the ball in mid-game just to hit it back._ Knowing that the ball had hit something---and from the look of things, Phibrizzo wasn't looking too apologetic---she turned to help the other person up...

Her heart almost stopped. She knew who that person was. It was the very person who'd made her whole life, from childhood on, miserable. It was the person who had forced her to enter professional sports...and, in a way, forced her to leave pro tennis behind and move to Japan after she finished her education. If he found out that she was considering marrying Kronk a few years down the line, he would've done a lot more than just argue with her.

Without a moment's thought, Nami scampered as far away from the man that she could and took up hiding behind Kronk, who just scratched his head and looked confused before realization hit him. After that, Kronk ran over to hide behind Phibrizzo; Nami, suddenly without a hiding place, did the same.

------

"Do you think that guy's okay?" Curtis asked. "That was a substantial amount of force you put into that swing."

_It wasn't any more than Conan's super-powered shoes,_ Phibrizzo told him. He'd actually tagged along with Conan when he dropped by Dr. Agasa's house that day, and saw a demonstration of the shoes a few days later. _If those guys managed to wake up eventually, this guy should be alright._

Phibrizzo turned his head as far as he could and put on a menacing look. "If I have to replace this racquet because I had to drop the mesh on someone's head, Miss Keeler," he said icily, "you're the one paying for it. Let go of me!"

"Wha...what's he...what's he doing here..." Nami managed to say, her eyes dilated.

"I thought he was still in America!" Kronk muttered, a bit fearful. "Neither of us told him. I know that my former boss didn't tell him!"

"Hello? Mind letting go?" Phibrizzo said, a bit louder this time. "People are _staring_."

"I don't know how he got here," Nami declared, "and I'm sure not going to find out. Pack your bags and tell tomorrow's client that he'll need to find another lawyer, Kronk---we're finding somewhere else to live!"

"_I dropped a guy with a tennis ball!_" Phibrizzo exploded, his head seeming to triple in size. "_Quit acting like it's no big deal and let **go**!_"

Finally shaken out of their frightened stupor, the two of them gazed into Phibrizzo's angry eyes. "Do you have any idea who that is?" Nami asked, a tad irritated.

"No, and I don't particularly care," Phibrizzo said, somewhat calmer. "All I care about right now is that you've got a death grip on my arm. Let go, _please_."

Nami and Kronk released him, although they didn't relinquish their spots behind him. "That's a real scary man you've got over there," Kronk explained. "He's been in court four times for various crimes, such as child abuse, but in each case there's been no evidence against him. It's as if it all just disappears."

Phibrizzo frowned. "Maybe so, but that doesn't explain why he's after Miss Keeler."

There was a brief pause as Nami stared down at him. _He's taking this in better than I thought. I wonder..._ "Well, the man acted as both my manager and agent when I was competing in the United States. When he first heard that I was learning to play tennis, he saw a chance at easy money and gave me his full support...as long as I stuck with the schedule and did what he said, which wasn't always easy. It eventually reached the point where I was playing against the best people in the sport, competing at events like Wimbledon, and basically beating almost everyone I played against.

"Finally, after I lost in the semi-finals of my most recent tournament, the man threw a fit and turned extremely violent. He tore through the apartment..." Nami shuddered at the memories. "...and tried to attack me. I don't know whether he was trying to kill me or just teach me some sort of lesson...but I knew that I had to get away from that man. I'd met Kronk just a few weeks before; and a few days after the incident, he came up with the idea of high-tailing it someplace far away from him. This was about...two years ago. We moved here to Tokyo, and we took up studying law. By summer of last year, we had our own office."

Phibrizzo shrugged nonchalantly...although Curtis flinched reflexively when both chambers started glowing red. "Sounds like a real mean man. What's his name?"

"The name's Arnold Long."

The raspy voice got everyone's attention right away; Curtis in particular had a ticked-off glare that Phibrizzo had never seen him have before. The man had recovered quickly from Phibrizzo's sneak attack and was standing no more than seven meters away from them, having snuck around the net while they were busy talking. Nami and Kronk cringed at the sight of him, while Phibrizzo's gaze turned as hard as steel.

"That was an extremely foolish thing to do, kid," Arnold said, smiling. For an instant, Phibrizzo thought for sure that his teeth were sharper than the norm. "I came here to retrieve my little girl, and I get ambushed by a little punk. For that, I'll take you as well. You'll regret doing that to me."

Phibrizzo smiled. Nami and Kronk, having a good enough angle to see this, were confounded that he would smile after hearing about him. "Mister Long," he declared in an even tone, "never in my life have I regretted any of my actions. Not then, not now. From what you two are saying...like the 'my little girl' line, and the 'tearing through the apartment' thing... you're her father _and_ her manager, right? Well, listen and listen good: you're a failure."

Arnold's fists clenched. "A _failure?_"

"You've failed as a manager, and you've failed as a parent. If you're willing to stoop so low as to resort to attacks on your own daughter just to satisfy your own greed, that's just muddle-brained idiocy. As far as I'm concerned," Phibrizzo exclaimed, his voice rising, "you're a _filthy...little...roach!"_

Most of the onlookers gasped at this. Arnold, infuriated at the insult and Phibrizzo's own bravado, had a much different reaction.

--------

Having just finished putting some supplies away, Sylvia Kaden nearly jumped when she heard a man let loose all his anger in one tremendous scream. "What---what was that!?"

Five seconds later, another scream---this one panicky---signalled Nami and Kronk's abrupt departure from the tennis court. The duo very nearly bulldozed everyone in their path, choosing to make a hasty getaway. They only stopped when they felt that they were far enough from the court to warrant breathing.

Frowning, Sylvia paced over to them. She'd met them on a prior occasion, but beyond their names knew little about them. "Is something wrong, you two?"

"Call the police," Nami wheezed.

"Huh?" Sylvia intoned, concerned.

"Call the police, call a detective...call _someone_," Nami insisted between gulps of air. "Just get that man away from us!"

"Who is he? What's going on?"

"Let's just say that 'no more Mr. Nice Guy' doesn't fit him," Kronk was able to suggest.

"I'll explain," Nami said, recovering. "There's someone in there after me...someone I don't have good relations with. After I explained it to the kid I was playing against, he insulted the man in the worst possible way."

Kronk regarded Nami worriedly. "You know, maybe we should've taken the kid with us. He would've been better out here than back with that monster."

"A _kid?_" Sylvia blurted out. "Who was he?"

Nami shook his head. "Some kid with black hair, a fireball T-shirt, and with several bracelets on his wrist. Why's that important?"

Sylvia's eyes widened momentarily. _I know who that is!_ "Lead the way, miss," she said.

"'Lead the way'!? I'm not going back in there!" Nami almost shouted. "I'm finding me a jet and getting out of this country!"

"_Lead the way,_" Sylvia repeated, the iron will of parental authority surfacing in her voice.

Nami's next protest died on her lips. _She's serious, isn't she?_ "Why do you want to go there? As soon as he sees you're with me, that man'll go after you, too!"

Both Keeler and Kronk recoiled from the venom in the woman's voice. "Because, Miss, that kid you left in there's my _son._ If he gets hurt, I'm holding all parties responsible!"

Nami smiled nervously and held her hands in front of her. "Okay, okay. Don't get so excited! We're going! We're going!" _That's her son? I can see where he gets his attitude!_

The three of them hurried to the tennis courts at Sylvia's urging, taking note of the spectators from earlier; the whole lot of them were running the other way. "Yeah, definitely a fight," Kronk remarked. "The kids back in school always did that when the bullies were around."

"Then let's quit wasting time," Nami snapped. "Kronk, you get to a phone and call the police. After what happened the last few times, he'd better be locked up _good_ when this day's over!"

Kronk nodded and split for the nearest phone as the others neared the courts.

--------

Seething with anger, Arnold marched slowly towards Phibrizzo. "There are several things I refuse to tolerate: children who won't do what their parents say, and kids too mouthy for their own good," he snarled, rearing back to clobber him.

Still smiling, Phibrizzo shoved his tennis racquet into subspace and rotated his arm a few times. "Go ahead. I dare you."

Bracing himself in time, Phibrizzo took the hit full force; his chest gave way with the blow, then rebounded back into place. Before Arnold could recover from his surprise, he found himself on the receiving end of a Gum Gum Pistol, driving him back towards the net.

Phibrizzo's smile was gone. That attack should've flattened him, but it seemed to have no more effect than that tennis ball did. "Something's up here. Even for a brute your size, that attack should've had more effect. You're not exactly what they call 'normal', are you?"

"Neither are you," Arnold said, smirking. "But I'll get to that in a little bit. Seeing as how you've got surreal abilities like I do, I can safely let you in on a little secret. You ever hear of Project: Clandestine DNA?"

Phibrizzo nodded. "Off-hand. Something about this super-smart teenage kid wanting to give other people enhanced abilities, and the experiment backfiring and reducing the building to ashes."

Arnold looked around for a few seconds before his smirk turned nasty. "There's more to it than that. We've got a few minutes. You want to hear the rest of the story?"

"The _rest_ of the story? I'm afraid you're going to tell me anyway."

"For starters, the experiment worked out well. Very well. For those of us at the center of the project..._exceedingly_ well."

The ceiling lights reflected off Phibrizzo's eyes, giving them a dim yellow glow. "And you were one of those guys that the kid asked to take part in the experiment? In that case, why don't we just skip the rest of the story? I want to see what you got out of the experience."

-----------

"I got more out of it than you realize," Nami heard Arnold say. "The question is, what did _you_ get out of it?"

Sylvia and Nami peeked nervously around the edge of the doorway. As far as they could tell, Arnold and Phibrizzo had been doing nothing but talk since they'd got there. The first comment they'd heard---something about 'surreal abilities'---had caught Nami's attention.

"I never took part in the stupid experiment," Phibrizzo complained. "You're about the third or fourth person that's asked me that, and it's getting annoying. I got my powers on my own, not because of some genius's crackpot theories. I'm sure not related to any test subjects, either."

"Powers...?" Sylvia whispered almost inaudibly. Nami thought she heard a tinge of apprehension somewhere in there.

"Then explain to me why you're treating your body like rubber," Arnold said, "if you're not descended from them."

"It's not rubber...just overly flexible," Phibrizzo snapped. "Don't confuse the two. I'm capable of so much stuff, your head would spin like an overworked washing machine."

Although neither Nami nor Sylvia could see it, Arnold was sneering. "Show me."

"I can't."

"And why not?"

Phibrizzo issued a sneer of his own. "I don't want to burn the place down. My allowance doesn't come anywhere near what it must've cost to build this place..."

"Explains the T-shirt," Nami whispered.

"Ssssh!" Sylvia hissed.

"...besides that, I like playing tennis, and this is the only place with rates I can afford. I go here at least twice a week."

"Well, if that isn't fine and dandy," Arnold said sarcastically. "Because you're going to need everything you have just to survive against me!"

Oddly enough, his body seemed to pulsate. Over the course of twenty seconds, his skin turned a dark grayish-blue. "This is what I gained. That experiment altered my genes and gave me the ability to breathe under water. I can trigger the release of a hormone to multiply my strength and speed tenfold! Tell me that isn't something to get worked up about!"

Nami and Sylvia had to fight to keep their gasps reined in. Arnold, in the meantime, continued. "The purpose of the experiment was to modify...and even _add_ to...the genes within a person's body. The strengths that people have gained from the experiment allow them to surpass all reason. These are the most dangerous people...on...earth..."

Arnold's voice trailed off as Phibrizzo started snickering malevolently, taking a handful of steps around the man to give himself some more space. As everyone waited for him to stop giggling, Sylvia gave Nami a mortified look. "_These_ are the types of people he associates with?" she whispered.

"Before you make any snap decisions, let's just watch and see how this turns out," Nami whispered back. "If you knew what that man has done to me, you'd be proud of your son for standing up to him." She sighed quietly. "I wish I knew where he gets that courage."

Before Sylvia could answer, Phibrizzo announced: "Listen to me, and listen good. I'm talking to _you._ I don't care about your stupid strengths or your prattle about me being related to some guinea pig. All I care about is that you ruined a perfectly good tennis match with your lame kidnapping scheme! If you don't go away and never show your face in Tokyo again, your face will say 'hi' to the floor!"

"Oh? And what are _you_ going to do if I don't?" Arnold asked, implying that he believed Phibrizzo wouldn't be able to accomplish it.

Phibrizzo smiled sinisterly. "Three words, jerk..." With that, he threw both his hands back...and back, and back, and back. Both spectators' jaws dropped at the sight. "Gum Gum Bazooka!" he yelled, running towards Arnold and allowing his hands to snap back forwards. The explosive recoil blasted his target across the room, creating an Arnold-shaped crater in the wall.

Nami's eyes widened. _What's going on? Is this a weird real-life version of some cartoon? I did not just see that!_ She turned to regard the crater; somehow---possibly with the help of whatever strange strength he gained from his color change---Arnold seemed unhurt. As it was, he had already pulled himself out...and was looking seriously ticked.

Sylvia's eyes narrowed just a little. Nami thought she could tell what she was thinking, and it wasn't looking very good.

What happened next was almost blindingly fast. Arnold yelled at the top of his lungs and began a mad dash straight at Phibrizzo. Just before he could tackle the kid, Phibrizzo jumped over him and kicked him between the shoulders, keeping his momentum going and nearly making him plow into the wall again. Still angry, Arnold bared his teeth---which looked a lot sharper than they normally were---and lunged. Caught off guard, Phibrizzo was almost unable to yank himself out of the way. As it was, those giant teeth broke the skin on his arm---

Something black leaked into the air, hissing as it came into contact with oxygen. Whatever it was faded like so much fog, and the cut on Phibrizzo's arm faded into nothingness. Not even a scar remained.

Arnold laughed as he watched Phibrizzo's face turn pensive. "There's no point in being overconfident. You have aches and pains just like everyone else."

Phibrizzo's expression chilled Sylvia to the core. What he said next almost froze her mind, too. "I don't know how to tell you this...but that attack was _nothing_. What you just saw there wasn't blood. My body runs on energy the likes of which you've never seen before. The amount of body heat I give off when I'm furious can melt steel in seconds. What you just saw was a mixture of the two; and although I can't do much without the stuff, I don't need it to function." Phibrizzo's expression returned to normal, but he didn't quit talking. "Due to my unique genetic makeup, I'm essentially _immune_ to any and all physical attacks, whether they're sharp or blunt. There are only _two_ real ways to hurt me, and you don't have _either_ of them."

"That's a load of nonsense," Arnold barked. "If that's the case, why bother dodging my attacks? You're hiding something. Something important..." He grinned sinisterly. "Can I assume your parents are okay with this? Answer me this, since you've talked so much up to now."

Nami caught Phibrizzo's hesitation. "They don't need to know," he said at last. "If I showed off my abilities to people who couldn't handle it..." He smirked. "Well, at least now I know why Miss Keeler hates you so much."

"Who needs them?" Arnold asked bluntly, ignoring Phibrizzo's last remark. "They wouldn't understand. One look at that attack you hit me with a minute ago, and they'd throw you out of the house. People are funny about those things---if you're in any way different from the other person, they don't want anything to do with you."

"Explains why she ran off," Phibrizzo admitted. "Either that, or you're just pain personified."

"History is full of proof. The United States' Civil War was provoked in part by people who supported slavery; forty years ago, they would insult you just for your skin color. During the second world war, the country subdued Japanese people simply because they believed they were the enemy. Scientists, mathematicians, philosophers the world over have been criticized and persecuted throughout the centuries...all because they had new ideas. What makes you think you'll be any different simply because you have a few fancy tricks? What makes you think _any_ of us are any different?"

"If I were a lesser person," Phibrizzo growled, "I'd take your argument into account...but since there's nothing that they can really do to stop me, I'll just ignore it. I see what you're trying to pull, and it's not going to work."

"I'm not suggesting that they actually _hurt_ you," Arlong said, still smug. "All it takes is a few words or a slip-up, and you'll be out on your own. Just imagine: your face plastered all over the newspapers. Stuck in an alley somewhere without a real home, hiding from people and living in fear of their words..."

Nami kept an eye on Sylvia throughout this exchange. During the conversation, a variety of emotions repeatedly adjusted her face: disbelief, anger, awe, frustration...and finally, a look of firm resolve. She couldn't say the same for Phibrizzo; despite his words, he actually looked somewhat nervous...

It took a few seconds for Nami to realize that Sylvia wasn't beside her anymore. _Wait...wait! Hold on a second! What's she doing!?_

What Sylvia was doing was getting up from behind the door and walking out into the room, getting Arlong's attention and cutting him off in the middle of his speech. Despite the stress level in the room, Nami was aware enough to note that Phibrizzo looked pretty distraught. "Mother...? How long were you---"

"Long enough."

-------

Phibrizzo had long prided himself on his lack of fear. He was quite literally afraid of nothing, except for Shabranigdu, the Lord of Nightmares...and Naga the Serpent, who was---in his opinion---a hundred times worse than the rest of humanity put together.

But he was a full-fledged mazoku, back then...and those fears paled in comparison to what he was feeling now.

_She knows...she actually knows..._

He had succeeding in keeping his powers hidden from his foster parents for several months now, and he was hoping to keep it that way. He should've known that he wouldn't be able to hide them forever, in retrospect.

_Is what Arnold saying true? Am I going to be shunned and thrown onto the streets just because I can't blend in with everyone else?_

"Arnold's a jerk," Curtis said, attention riveted on the unfolding situation. "Besides, what are you worried about?"

Inuyasha agreed. "What happened to the big, bad monster that hated humans several months ago? Not that I'm missing him or anything..."

Sylvia walked past the net and approached Phibrizzo, her face unreadable. He could almost feel goosebumps spreading across his arms. He almost wished she'd yell in his face so that he would have an excuse to hide somewhere.

"All those centuries watching people, and you still don't understand them," Curtis said, trying to get Phibrizzo's attention. "It's true what they say: you won't understand the other person unless you walk in his shoes for a while."

_Curtis, shut up and help me out here!_

Curtis frowned and shook his head. "No can do, Phibrizzo."

_What!?_ His eyes widened. Off to the side, the trio saw Arnold's sharp smirk; the man must've assumed that dejection was getting the best of him.

"If you really think you're so tough," Inuyasha growled angrily, "then pull yourself together. You're letting that guy put thoughts in your head!"

_But he's right!_ Phibrizzo shouted inwardly. _Don't you get it? He's telling the truth!_

"The truth from _his_ point-of-view," Curtis complained sourly, "and it's nothing more than misconceptions. 'Truth' isn't like that. You can't take truth, twist it into something else, and still call it truth. Contrary to what people believe, that's not how it works."

_Then what do you call **this**?_ Phibrizzo asked angrily, his gaze focused on Sylvia.

"I call it a parent in her 'I'm-your-parent-now-do-as-I-say' mode," Curtis answered, half a smile in place. "And it looks like she's going to say something."

Phibrizzo tensed himself, resisting the urge to run as Sylvia started speaking.

-------

"Phibrizzo, I'm so ashamed of you. If I'd known you would try to pick a fight with someone more than twice your size, I wouldn't have let you come here...and now to find out that you have strange powers? I just don't know what to do with you."

Phibrizzo hung his head. In the few months since he'd come to live with them, Sylvia had never seen him look so dejected. _I wish he'd at least told me sooner._ "Phibby, are you okay?" she asked, her tone softening a little.

"You decide," Phibrizzo murmured, staring at the ground. "Do I look okay? Do I _feel_ okay?"

Turning her head just a little, Sylvia noticed Nami taking a few hesitant steps forward, her tennis racquet in one hand. Ignoring her for the moment, Sylvia decided on a course of action; if Arnold had awakened Phibrizzo's fear of rejection, there was only one way to ease that fear. "I'm not going to tell you," she said. "You decide that for yourself, honey."

Arnold's smirk became a snarl.

"Just because some _stranger_ tells you something doesn't mean you have to believe it," Sylvia explained. "Besides, with Inuyasha all over the place and that incident with the Junes that one time, 'normal' isn't exactly...well..." She shrugged. "...normal."

"And there's also the rumors coming out of Nerima," Nami chimed in, edging a few steps nearer to the net. "You know? About the flower-tossing gymnast, the guy who switches genders with water, the radioactive zone near this one dojo..."

"...Although I still don't believe that part about the gender-switching," Sylvia mused aloud.

"...Miss Keeler?" Phibrizzo quietly asked.

Nami turned to him. "Hmm?"

"...The dojo _is_ the radioactive zone. That girl's cooking will melt a hole clean through your stomach. If you survive it...either it'll mutate you, or you'll get a month's worth of indigestion and cramps."

"You mean Nerima really _is_ that bad?"

"It's worse. Did you know they have a martial arts school for tea ceremonies?" Phibrizzo looked a lot less likely to worry about who to believe, but he still wasn't completely out of it. Arnold, meanwhile, was visibly gritting his teeth and growling.

Phibrizzo's statement got Nami and Sylvia laughing. "Sorry," Nami said, smiling widely. "The mental image is just too much!"

"You think _that's_ funny? There's a principal there who goes around with a palm tree on his head. He has this obsession with haircuts; he tried to give _me_ a crew cut the last time he saw me."

Sylvia frowned. "You didn't hurt him, did you?"

"I didn't need to," Phibrizzo confirmed. "The gender-switcher saw the principal try that and tripped him up when I ran past him."

"You know," Nami said, tapping her chin, "you _could_ stand to lose a few inches of hair..."

Phibrizzo shook his head. "My hair's fine the way it is. It's not getting any longer. I look stupid with a short haircut, anyway---"

The conversation was cut off as Arnold yelled at the top of his voice, both visibly and audibly frustrated. Without hesitation, he broke into an all-out charge..._past_ Phibrizzo. A second too late to dodge, Sylvia realized that _she_ was the target---

"_Gum Gum Spear!_" came a voice from above...and Arnold suddenly found himself plowed into the ground by a pair of outstretched feet. Nami and Sylvia looked up in amazement; faster than they could blink, Phibrizzo had somehow gotten into the air...with the perfect position to attack! Not willing to be a part of the action, Sylvia hastily retreated back to the opposite side of the court.

Phibrizzo flipped a few times due to recoil and landed safely, his glare positively _frightening_. As Arnold finally got up---still none the worse for wear---he started glowing a deep purple. "That's it, you shark on steroids!" he snapped in English; was it Sylvia's imagination, or was there an engine revving in the background? "You ruined a decent match, toyed with my emotions, made me look stupid, and now you have the nerve to attack one of the few people who are willing to put up with me? Well, I have two words for you: _no stinking way!_"

"That's _three_ words, Phibrizzo," Nami interrupted, sticking with Japanese.

Phibrizzo almost fell over, but managed to stay balanced. Gathering himself together, he spared a glance in Sylvia's direction. "Miss Keeler, mother...I appreciate your support, but I have some trash to throw out. Make sure the police stay out of here until I'm able to subdue him."

Nami smiled playfully. "You _do_ know you'll be responsible for any damages incurred to the building, right?"

"I know a construction company in Nerima that'll get the job done fast and efficiently," Phibrizzo countered. "Just call them when I'm done here, and they'll get here lickety-split. Best of all, they're affordable."

"What, you expect me to pay for it?"

"Well, _I'm_ certainly not! Now get out of here, or we'll _never_ finish our match!"

"No argument from me." Nami nodded at him, then turned and ran off. As she did, she yelled over her shoulder: "Do it, Phibrizzo. I'm counting on you, here!"

Sylvia looked one more time into her adopted child's eyes. "Phibrizzo..."

His face turned ever so slightly. "Yes, mother?"

After a moment's thought as to what to say, she gave him her "Go, Masked Yaiba" smile. "Remember that I'm cheering for you. Now take him down!"

Delighted, Phibrizzo couldn't help but shout joyfully. If there had been any doubts before, that statement had washed them away. "_Absolutely!_"

------

Nami, having rejoined Kronk in the lobby, waited for Sylvia to do the same. As she did, she couldn't help but think about the irony that was evident.

A kid she barely knew possessed superpowers, and was about to face her worst nightmare: her own father. And in a way, both pairs---herself and Arnold, Phibrizzo and Sylvia---were polar opposites. Arnold was overly powerful and authoritarian, but had abused his strength...and herself. Sylvia had apparently adopted a special child, and treated him with the respect he deserved without knowing what he could do...while Phibrizzo secretly feared that his strengths would ostracize him.

As Sylvia entered the lobby---which was now empty except for the three of them---Nami felt a lingering ache from her left shoulder. The phantom pain wasn't there, of course, but several years of waiting couldn't erase the long scar that existed. She didn't need to remind herself how close she came to dying, all because she lost one stupid game. It had never occured to her to tell Arnold that no one was perfect...even though he expected otherwise.

But maybe...if Phibrizzo somehow lasted through this mess...

The door opened, and Nami saw someone walk in. She knew the police were on their way, but she knew that they hadn't arrived just yet...unless they hired a suspicious-looking first-grader to do their work.

"Excuse me, but why was everyone running away?"

Nami sighed and started to explain.

----

Once Sylvia had left, the two of them didn't waste anymore time. Almost immediately, Arnold and Phibrizzo started lashing out at each other. The latter was taking full advantage of his rubber-esque abilities, but Arnold's enhanced durability soaked up the blows like a sponge. The mutant, beyond all reason now, repeatedly tried getting his sharpened teeth into range. Each time he tried, Phibrizzo twisted out of the way.

"Looks like something out of my nightmares," Curtis commented. "He sure is ugly."

"Curtis, this _is_ your nightmare," Inuyasha reminded him.

"Yeah. Don't remind me."

_I just hope he doesn't bite through this shirt,_ Phibrizzo said as he countered one of Arnold's attacks with a roundhouse. _I don't think Sherry would like it if I asked to have another one of these made. It was **her** money that was spent, not mine._

"I doubt your mother would want another one made anyway," Inuyasha replied. "Remember, she didn't like the idea at first."

Arnold lunged again, his ferocity at its peak. This time, Phibrizzo didn't bother with evasion; he instead let his fire fill his fist as it blasted forward. "_Gum Gum Flare!_" he shouted, the impact---and the heat---sending the mutant looping through the air across the court.

Instead of smashing through the wall, Arnold recovered in mid-air and rebounded off it. He opened his mouth wide, the jaws gleaming in the light. Twisting a few times, he put himself into a spin, intending on finishing his target permenantly. "_Shark...on...Gear!"_

Two sets of eyes widened. "_Phibrizzo, dodge it!_" Inuyasha and Curtis shouted.

One step ahead of them, Phibrizzo teleported to safety, rematerializing in one corner of the room. He turned around in time to witness Arnold's drill-like attack tear its way through the floorboards and into the ground, sending debris in all directions. After a few moments pause, a thick geyser of water shot up from the hole; Arnold had not only tunneled through the ground, but also through the top of a water pipe.

Phibrizzo winced. "Major _ouch_," he muttered, feeling slightly dizzy before reorienting himself.

Something suddenly came to mind. "Phibrizzo, quick question," Curtis stated. "When you regenerated from that hit you took earlier, did you feel your energy being used? You know, like your teleportations?"

"A little bit," Phibrizzo admitted...and a second later, paled. "Teleported twice, re-generated once, used up some energy with that Flare...I'm definitely starting to run low. No wonder I'm not feeling good. I don't suppose you stuck something to drink in subspace when I wasn't looking, did you?"

"No, I haven't. Haven't had the---"

"_Shark on Gear!_"

Phibrizzo's eyes widened. "_Again!?_" he yelled, narrowly dodging Arnold's shark teeth as he burst from the floor. The mutant stopped his attack as he resurfaced and kicked off the wall, his jaws once again evident. This time the half-mazoku couldn't manuever out of the way, and Arnold's jaws closed around his arm---

For several long moments, there was no noise other than the water still spouting from the ruined pipe. Phibrizzo stared down at Arnold, his hand and wrist held fast inside the mutant's sharp-toothed maw...

...and his broken bracelet besides.

"I warned you the first time...I warned you the second time..." Phibrizzo uttered. "You chose to ignore me both times." His eyes flashed. "You have in your mouth the one tie to my past that's left." His skin began glowing purple, and his body temperature shot up rapidly. "Either you release it post-haste, or you'll find out what it's like to be char-broiled!"

Arnold's response was to slug him with his left fist, every ounce of his twisted power backing it up. He followed it up with his right, then started into a volley that would've done a boxer proud. Before too long, though, he was finally forced to release Phibrizzo's hand as the heat became too much for him to bear. The mutant staggered a few steps back, shaking his head repeatedly to cool off his mouth.

Phibrizzo hardly even noticed that he'd been struck; like before, any damage done was negligible. "Didn't like the heat, did you?" he sneered, noting that Arnold's skin looked drier than it was a minute ago. "Water creatures don't take kindly to fire. Face it...you may have all the ferocity of a shark..."

"Just because I have a weakness doesn't mean _you_ don't!" Arnold cried, suddenly spinning in mid-air without needing to push off anything. Was it Inuyasha's imagination, or did his teeth suddenly seem _sharper?_ "_Shark On Gear...Crush!_"

"...but when it comes right down to it..."

As he spoke this, Arnold tunneled through the air itself en route to his target. This time, Phibrizzo braced himself, reached out...and grabbed his teeth with both hands, ignoring for the moment how sharp they were. Phibrizzo's arms began twisting rapidly around each other as he fought to decrease his enemy's RPM. At last, a fully surprised Arnold came to a stop.

"...you have all the brains of a shrimp!"

Phibrizzo's arms uncoiled and burst into violet flames, making them spin all the faster as he flung Arnold over his shoulder and into the ground, several feet away from the net. The impact created another huge hole in the floorboards, sending several pieces splintering.

-------

As he took a few steps backwards, Phibrizzo realized just how tired he'd become. When he'd forced Arnold to release his hand and later added some firepower to his furious Gum Gum Gavel, he'd been expelling energy like crazy. He looked at his fingers, where the punctures caused by Arnold's jaws were sealing themselves. With each 'injury' that healed itself, his eyelids felt just a little bit heavier.

At this moment, sleep never sounded so good.

Phibrizzo's thoughts were broken as Arnold forced himself up. The half-mazoku frowned, not looking forward to a continued engagement...then noticed that the mutant's eyes were rolled back in his head, and that he was making rumbling noises deep in his throat. _He's unconscious!_

"Unconscious _and_ dangerous," Inuyasha growled. "What do we have to do to shut him up, anyway?"

Curtis took a few steps nearer to the front of his chamber, then smiled. "The answer may be simpler than you think."

_What are you talking about?_ Phibrizzo asked tiredly, unamused.

A sudden _bang_ and a loud _thud_ cut Curtis off before he could answer. Arnold's growling was cut off as he pitched forward onto the floor. The spherical culprit---an orange basketball---ricocheted off him and bounced in the general direction of the exit...where a welcome person was waiting.

"_Conan!?_ What are you doing here?" Phibrizzo blurted disbelievingly, blinking.

"Me and the others were passing through when I saw all those people run out. I gave some excuse to George and the others and went on in," Conan verified, walking closer to the net. Behind him, Sylvia and Nami entered the court cautiously, also. "I asked _them_ what was going on, and they told me a little about Arnold. I should've figured you'd decide to pick a fight."

"'Pick', nothing," Phibrizzo grumbled, looking on as Arnold's appearance gradually faded back to normal. "He interrupted my tennis match with that kidnapping attempt and tried to turn me against the world. I may not be the smartest person around, but I'm no idiot, either."

Nami looked around, noting the dwindling geyser in particular. "You sure did a number on this room. How are they going to repair all this?"

"_He's_ the one that broke it. Why don't you have them sue him for damages? That way you can pay off that construction company."

Phibrizzo couldn't decide if he liked that gleam in Nami's eyes. "Oh, I'll do a _lot_ more than that. Some people back in the United States _really_ don't like him; they'd jump at the chance to have him put in prison, but _good_. It's a long shot, but have you ever heard of the program _'America's Most Wanted'?_"

"In passing," Phibrizzo said. "Why?"

"He's appeared on that program more than half a dozen times in two years. He's been charged with murder, child abuse, thievery...a regular creep. But each time he shows up in court, the case is dismissed due to lack of evidence. When those people hear that Arnold's finally been caught red-handed, they'll start coming out of the woodwork with some of the missing evidence."

_Curtis, is it all right if I...well, you know what I mean, right?_

Curtis shrugged. "Sure. Go ahead."

_Thanks._ "I was able to catch some of the details on tape cassette." Nami's face brightened at this. "I can give it to you, if you want. If it ever goes missing, contact me and I'll give you an extra copy."

Nami grinned, excited. "This is _great!_ Between the damages for the center, the fines and his crimes, he'll be rotting in prison for the rest of his life! Phibrizzo, I _so_ owe you!"

"Good...'cause I'm going to have to cash in on that," Phibrizzo declared. He staggered a step sideways, then dropped to the floor. "Could you find a sandwich or ramen shop right now? I'm just about empty."

Everyone almost fell over. "You just got done fighting a walking shark, and that's all you have to say?!" Conan almost shouted.

"You can at _least_ take the credit for beating him down!" Nami snapped mock-angrily, not really feeling like there was any fire in that statement.

"Food first," Phibrizzo decided. "Credit later. I can barely move, my stomach's empty, and I'm _hungry_..."

At this point Inspector Maguire and several officers entered the room, Kronk close behind them. "Alright," the Inspector said. "Let's take that man---_what on earth happened here!?_"

Phibrizzo and Sylvia took a look at first the damaged court, then Nami, then each other. Finally, they turned to face Maguire and deadpanned: "You have _no_ idea."

--------------

Location: Kaden residence

Time: Thirty minutes later

In the aftermath that followed, a silent agreement had been made between Sylvia, Nami, Kronk, Conan, and Phibrizzo to not let the police know how Arnold had been subdued. When Maguire questioned them, all Phibrizzo did was hand them a cassette tape; he proved true to his word by giving one to Nami, also. He also suggested that they keep Arnold sedated so that he wouldn't go stir-crazy when he woke up.

Nami and Kronk had gone with the police---and the captured Arnold---in order for a proper report on the case to be filed and to make any extra arrangements. Mercifully, Conan, Phibrizzo, and Sylvia were permitted to leave; the former two because the police believed they shouldn't be involved, and Sylvia because she was asked to look after her son.

Phibrizzo still couldn't believe that she still liked him. In hindsight, he should've expected it; if she could yell at the TV whenever the animated characters did something wrong, then she could laugh off her adopted child having twisted talents.

But on the way home from the center, he thought he could still see a note of disapproval in Sylvia's eyes. For reasons that he didn't understand, that struck a chord inside him as he recalled his earlier conversation with Professor Oak and Richie.

**(Cue flashback)**

"And why haven't you told them, as opposed to those you _have_ told?" Oak was asking him.

"My foster parents don't need to know," Phibrizzo said, frowning. "I think I may clue in my older friend at some point, I don't know...unless it's an emergency, I won't tell anyone else. I've needed to tell those that absolutely needed to know about it, and a few that are already used to strange things happening...but not my closer family and friends. They're not ready for it; I can't trust them with the secret. I just..." He sighed. "...I don't know how to put it."

"You're afraid that they'll think of you as some sort of monster and turn you away," Richie said, understanding. It wasn't a question.

Phibrizzo slowly nodded. "Right. It sounds weird coming from me, but I don't want to alienate what few friends I have..."

**(End flashback)**

In spite of what Sylvia and Nami tried to prove to him, he still believed that he came dangerously close to earning a "walking disaster" label. In the past, he cared next to nothing for what others thought of him...but based on what he worked out from Curtis's talk with Dolphin, mazoku---and maybe the dragon race, also---would be forever changed once they were clear of the Lord of Nightmares.

And right now, he didn't care what Dolphin would think. In his opinion, it had been a stressful afternoon. He wanted nothing more than to just lay back against his pillow and brood.

There was a knock on the bedroom door. Apprehensively, Phibrizzo looked that way for a moment before settling in. "It's open."

Sylvia walked in and closed the door behind her. "I called Marcus at the TV station and asked him to pick something up for dinner on the way home. This way, I won't need to cook tonight."

Phibrizzo resigned himself to the inevitable. "You're wanting to talk to me, aren't you?"

"Yes. I just want to get a few things cleared up."

"If this is about the damages at the recreation center, I didn't cause those...at least, not all of them..."

"I'm not asking about that." Sylvia sat down at the far end of the bed. "I'm just wondering why you didn't tell us this sooner. Don't you think it's amazing, being able to do things like that?"

"...Not really," Phibrizzo uttered hesitantly. "When you spend time around a person who's able to cart a giant hammer around on her person without anyone noticing, you lose track of what's neat and what isn't."

Sylvia frowned, shaking her head. "I'm just going to pretend I didn't hear that last one. Why didn't you tell us sooner?"

Phibrizzo sighed. "...I guess I just wanted to blend in with everyone. I thought if I acted like people my age, the average person wouldn't suspect anything. You've seen what happened with Aisha June and her mother. Besides the prejudice, I don't like being hurt emotionally; just because I can't be hurt physically doesn't mean I don't have feelings of my own."

"If you didn't want anyone finding out about what you can do," Sylvia asked, clasping her hands together, "why didn't you hesitate to fight that man? You knew what could've happened."

Phibrizzo's eyes turned towards the bed. "When Miss Nami and Kronk told me about Arnold, something clicked together. I'd felt this way a few times before, but it paled in comparison to what I'd felt today...there's no way I can describe my anger. I just felt so..._incensed_ that a man would do that to his own _daughter_. I don't know why I was so angry about it."

"I can tell you," Sylvia said quietly. "You're developing your own sense of right and wrong. No person who cared about someone has never felt otherwise." She made sure that Phibrizzo's attention was locked on her. "I want to ask a favor of you. If you do what I ask, I'll give you a few things you might like. Okay, Phibrizzo?"

Blink. "Um, okay. I'm listening."

"I want you to tell me honestly: _are you human?_"

If Phibrizzo had a heart, it would've stopped upon hearing this. Instead, his eyes widened a fraction. "Why are you asking me? I can't tell you." He leaned forward, resting his arms and head on his knees. "You don't need to know. No one needs to know..."

"_I_ do," Sylvia insisted. "If you're going to be placing yourself in unwanted danger to protect me or someone else, then I want to know. Be honest with me."

Phibrizzo shook his head, but starting talking anyway. It was as if marbles had been let loose from a jar...and they wouldn't quit falling. "Half of me is human...but it wasn't always that way. For centuries I was evil personified, a dark lord of true monsters who craved mass destruction. Three months ago, I felt immense hatred for humanity as a whole...I wanted nothing more than to remove all vestiges of life from the world...at the height of my greatest plan, _they_ appeared: two very strange and unusual people from parts unknown."

His speech became more and more forced as it went on. With each sentence, his voice gained a little more power. "I didn't know this at the time, but they would be stuck with me, helping me avoid a disaster I would've been powerless to prevent...and in so doing, they were somehow able to arrange my survival and departure from that world. They convinced me to give humanity a chance, to blend in and see what life was like on the other side. As an overall result of their actions the darker side of my nature is hidden, manifesting itself in such things as my fire abilities, regeneration, and even teleportation...but no longer having an extensive influence over my thoughts and actions as it had before..."

Phibrizzo's fists clenched. "...but what good are these things if I'm just going to be hated for them?" he exclaimed, straightening on his bed. "I may not have cared about this before, but things are different now! I don't care what Lauren thinks, or what Arnold thinks, or what anyone else thinks! I know what it's like to be looked down on, and I don't want any part of it! Please..." His head dropped a little, and some of his hair fell across his eyes. "Please..."

Throughout the abbreviated account, Sylvia had difficulty believing her ears. A genuine, bona-fide _monster_? An ancient dark lord with horrendous powers? Not even seeing Inuyasha in person or encountering that dark-skinned cat-girl from the elementary school could prepare her for this. It would've been laughable if he hadn't looked so serious. If she understood it right, Phibrizzo had the whole world---_**His** world_, she reminded herself---on a collision course with disaster! If he was that powerful, what could she do, even if his power had seemingly diminished?

"Please..." The voice had softened to a near whisper.

**(BGM - Instrumental of "If You Needed Somebody", by Bad Company)**

But as Phibrizzo finished, everything about him seemed different. For several fleeting moments he had allowed her a glimpse of his past, what he truly believed, his outlook on life...asking her to judge for herself whether she believed him. For the first time since his adoption, she understood the internal struggle that was being wrought: he was literally fighting his own destructive urges.

"Please..." Phibrizzo managed to choke out.

And in spite of the potential danger he presented, Sylvia was always one to keep an open mind. She didn't see 'evil personified'; what she saw was someone who needed parental guidance.

"Please...just don't abandon me..."

And those words clinched it.

Sylvia reached out and placed one hand on his shoulder, causing him to jerk his head towards her. His eyes were full of disbelief. Sylvia, however, just smiled. "Monster or not, we adopted you. As long as you behave yourself, not destroy anything, and still follow the six o'clock curfew...I think we can arrange things."

It may have been a trick of the light, but she thought she saw Phibrizzo's eyes shimmer. He rolled off the bed, still somewhat in shock. "I just admitted to being half-monster, and you still want to keep me around!? I don't believe this!"

"Nothing's changed, Phibrizzo," Sylvia said, putting her hand back on his shoulder. "What happened was _before_; what's important are your feelings _now_. If I can accept your friend Aisha for what she is, I can most certainly accept _you_."

-----

Phibrizzo still had trouble believing what he'd heard. _She'd really take me in as I am...this is a huge risk she's taking!_

Quickly, he turned his gaze to the twin chambers where his 'parasites' dwelt. Inuyasha seemed to have dozed off, but his twitching ears and fanged smile indicated he'd heard the entire conversation. Curtis, spotting the light that informed him that Phibrizzo was watching him, paused to wipe his eyes before smiling. "See? What did we tell you?"

Feeling a sudden urge to release his emotions, Phibrizzo clenched his fists and stifled a sob. _I can't...I mustn't...I'm not weak..._

_I'm..._

_I..._

_I..._

_**'You don't understand at all, do you? I thought as much.'**_

_Wha...that voice!_

_**'The mazoku side of me...may be what's keeping me alive...**_

_**'...but it's the human side of me...that's keeping me going! Their drive to live...in spite of their problems...Compassion, once an illness but now an aid...'**_

_Wherever you are...as much as I hate to admit it...I think I finally understand what you meant by those words...so long ago..._

Not bothering to conceal his feelings anymore, the former dark lord allowed Sylvia to take him into her arms. Never before had he imagined that having a caregiver would feel so..._right_. His transformation on his arrival in Japan had changed him, in more ways than he realized.

For the first time since he could remember, Phibrizzo allowed his tears to flow freely.

-----

Curtis said nothing, instead turning away from the scene and heading for the entertainment center, opening a cabinet and rooting through the tapes stored there. Maybe after dinner, he could celebrate by watching a movie. _One thing's for sure...it's not going to be "Jaws". Maybe "The Magnificent Seven", or something like that..._

He had never admitted outright to Phibrizzo that getting him to lighten up had been one of his goals...in any case, it would have ruined what the half-mazoku had earned. After all the time that had passed, however, Phibrizzo had safely traversed the lighter side of life without suffering the repercussions. _If he maintains his attitude, these dreams should get pretty interesting_.

Inuyasha kept quiet as well, still pretending to be asleep. While pleased that nothing bad had happened---he'd secretly feared that someone would have something against Phibrizzo from then on---he wasn't about to make a big deal of it. As long as life went along its normal course, he wouldn't complain.

----

A minute went by before Phibrizzo was able to recover, pulling free from Sylvia's grasp. "I'm alright now," he breathed. "Sorry about that."

"That's okay. I'll be here if you need to talk to me," said Sylvia. "Anything else you can tell me?"

Phibrizzo wiped his eyes. "Just a few of the even stranger things. #1: Because of my bizarre genetic makeup, I don't have an actual skeleton. #2: I'm a _lot_ older than I look. #3: Sugar makes me hyper."

Sylvia blinked. "This will make doctor appointments complicated..."

Phibrizzo chuckled nervously. "You know, mother, maybe we shouldn't tell your husband about this."

"The damages at the center will be on the news tonight," Sylvia said, shaking her head. "There's no way I can hide it from Marcus. Besides, I'm not about to lie to my own husband."

"So much for _that_...anyway, what did you say you had for me?"

Sylvia got up, made as if she was going to leave, then turned for a moment. "Hold up...just one quick question. That song that was playing a minute ago...where did it come from?"

The trio sweatdropped, although it was Phibrizzo who said: "With all due respect, you probably wouldn't believe me. Let's save it for another time. And please, _don't tell anyone about all this!_"

"I'll try not to."

-----

Like she promised, Sylvia had indeed picked up something for Phibrizzo. Having overheard one of his conversations with Conan, she'd learned that he rather enjoyed classical music. The previous weekend while Phibrizzo was gone, she'd gone to a music store and bought a high-quality flute. The delighted look in his eyes was infectious.

"The other thing I got you...well, it's more for me, but if you like it, you can use it too..." Sylvia confessed, grinning. "A month ago, Mantendo finally released a combination Famicom/Super Famicom system. When I saw it was on sale, I couldn't resist...um, Phibrizzo? Get up off the floor. You look silly with your face like that."

"There are 'Masked Yaiba' video games, aren't there?" Phibrizzo asked, recovering from his facefault.

A nervous chuckle. "How'd you guess?"

Phibrizzo shrugged. "Whatever. Doesn't matter to me. Just let me know when you're finished with it so I can have a shot at it."

Sylvia smiled dangerously. "Are you implying that I'm a video game fanatic, _son_?"

Phibrizzo returned the look with one of his own. "I'm implying that you're a _'Masked Yaiba'_ fanatic, _mother._"

Both of them kept up their expressions for as long as possible, until finally they both started laughing. When one looks like the other, it's hard to keep a straight face for long.

------

Time: Several hours later

Location: Unknown

"...And our top story this evening, the mysterious damages caused at a recreation center in Beika this afternoon. The tennis court there will be closed off until everything is repaired. Police and center employees alike are undecided as to what caused the damages. Testimony from attorneys-at-law Nami Keeler and Jonathan Kronk have stated that a wanted criminal from America was at the scene: one Arnold Long. The man has been arrested for attempted kidnapping and destruction of public property, and will be sent back to America to be tried as soon as court procedures here in Tokyo have concluded..."

The TV image flashed white for a split-second before darkening.

"It doesn't take a genius to deduce what happened there today," the Captain mused, sitting calmly in his armchair. The lights were off, and shadows from the windows masked him from view. "It's been some time since I've last seen Mr. Long. I never thought he had the nerve to return to Tokyo, years after his mutation. He underestimated those that were against him, sad to say. His arrival wasn't a total loss, regardless of his failure.

"The search for my true target is at a standstill, as my agents have been unable to turn up any leads. But as far as my secondary goal is concerned, I now know where to start looking."

The man rose from his chair, pacing calmly towards the room's exit. "Phibrizzo Kaden, let's see what you're truly made of."

-----

_Chapter Eighteen completed. Chapter Nineteen soon to commence_

Author's Notes

I'd misspelled Kronk's name way back in his first appearance, with a 'u' instead of an 'o'. My mistake.

Arnold is, as you may have guessed after hearing his full name, Arlong. It wasn't a complete rendition; I didn't want him to turn into a _complete_ fishman, so I left out the dorsal fin and the sword-sharp nose. His remaining abilities, however, are in place.

I think this marks the third time Phibrizzo's used Coop's rant. Sense a pattern here?

The line "Listen (to me), and listen good. I'm talking to _you_" is, with the exception of the part in parenthesis, a Mr. T quotation. Heh, heh...I don't think the average person would want to argue with that guy.

Some time ago, I had a nightmare where Arlong was chasing me around this large house. It would've been a bit scarier if he hadn't used a squirrel as a messenger, but I digress.

I don't endorse blood in fanfics, just for the record, and I'm going to avoid it wherever possible.

Shark on Gear Crush is supposed to be a stronger version of the original. We don't get to see its full power, however, since Phibrizzo stopped it before it could take full effect. And before anyone asks, the 'Gear Crush' weapon from the game _Megaman X2_ did come to mind, but that was just in name only.

F.Y.I.: RPM stands for 'revolutions per minute'.

_Finally, I'd like to dedicate this chapter to my family's cocker spaniel/beagle, Abigail. It's frustrating how things can go so wrong, in just a few short weeks..._

_Rest pain-free, girl. Good-bye._

_February 2004---November 24, 2006_


	32. Chapter Nineteen, Part A

WHAT INSERTION?

by Curtis Wildcat

_Chapter Nineteen --- Type Mis-Match_

----------

**(Cue theme)**

----------

Location: Team Rocket Headquarters

Time: Friday, April 12, 1996; 2:15p.m.

"...Need that super-charged jolt of energy? Try Fuchsia Strawberry Soda, the official soft drink of---" _Click._

"...Lauren Aqua wants _you_ to attend the Surf Spectacular, next Friday at Cerulean---" _Click._

"...blue eyes, but don't want contacts? We suggest Bonnie's Tears, eyedrops for---" _Click._

"...Agent 009? The boss wants to see you."

_Click_.

"A-hem..."

_Click._

"009?"

_Click, click, click._ "Mute! Come on, you stupid..."

"_009_...the boss will see you now. And don't point that remote at me."

Domino rolled off the bed, pretty much having rested there most of the day. "You can't blame me for being in a sour mood," she told the shadow at the door. "Especially after what happened..."

The figure coughed. "You weren't very clear about how you sustained that injury, you know..."

"I _told_ you and the boss already," Domino complained, flicking some dust off her uniform with her right hand; her left arm was in a sling. "I was being attacked by an old man, and while I was fending him off, a giant winged Tauros swooped out of the sky and went after the little sicko, injuring me without realizing it. What's so hard to understand?"

"...Tauros don't have wings, 009," the figure said, "but that's not important. Let's go, please."

---------

"...For the last time, _no_," Domino emphatically stated, glaring daggers at Giovanni. "No more missions that involve that fire-brained brat, and especially not in tandem with _those_ two imbeciles! And what do you mean by 'Tauros don't have wings'?"

"Exactly that, 009," Giovanni replied, trying to keep his cool. "I'm starting to question whether or not that account was true."

"Question all you want," Domino said, "but it was _not_ a Pidgeot that made me sprain my arm. What do I need to do, take a video camera with me everywhere I go? I can tell the differences between the two in my sleep!"

Giovanni decided that a change in subjects was in order. "What do you have against them, 009?"

"It's more like what do _they_ have against _me_," Domino replied, slightly calmer. "I've been asking myself that for years. I never even bothered them, and they start insulting me each chance they get."

Giovanni thought about this for a few seconds. "I've decided on an assignment, 009," he said. "This may allow you to keep an eye on things in Cerulean City without getting directly involved with Kaden. In three hours time, you'll be getting yourself a reservation at the Blue Forest: the city's largest hotel and restaurant complex. Since it is one of Team Rocket's legitimate businesses, we installed hidden technology in one of the lesser used rooms. Use it to track any and all activity in the areas surrounding the city. As always, capture any useful Pokémon you find. It's rumored that the Cerulean City gym leader is on vacation in the Hoenn region, so you may attempt to raid the gym if you wish. Just be wary of Lauren Aqua."

Domino thought it over, deciding that the missions were plausible. "Yes, sir. Will any of the grunts accompany me on this assignment?"

"There will be several teams standing by," Giovanni said, "in case of emergency. Otherwise, you're on your own. Everything you need to carry out capture operations is already hidden at your destination. Even with your injury, there shouldn't be any problems."

"Tell that to that little freak," Domino groused, but accepted the mission anyway.

A minute or so after Domino left, Giovanni pressed a button on his desk. "You can send them in now."

-------

Walking down the halls to where her transportation to Cerulean City was waiting, Domino couldn't quit scowling at everything and everyone. Somehow, she _knew_ that _they_ were going to the city as well. One thing was for sure: Articuno would spit fireballs before she'd work willingly with them.

_The Fire Masters of Team Rocket...I don't whether to feel sorry for him...or laugh when he creams them._

--------

Time: The next day, 7:28a.m.

Location: The Cerulean City gym

_Another day, another...whatever._

As per her morning routine, Dolphin made a complete circle of all the gym's corridors, making sure the Pokémon in the various aquariums---and the few in the pool---were fed and happy. At one point she passed through the auditorium, where Jetsam was still asleep, and made sure she was well. Once that was done, she headed straight for the kitchen to make her own breakfast.

_Buttered toast..._ Dolphin retrieved the bread from the toaster and continued around the kitchen, buttering the toast in-between stops.

_A bowl of Blastoise Blueberry Bites..._ Three-quarters of a bowl were filled with the aforementioned cereal and doused in millk. A smattering of sugar found its way onto the already-sweetened cereal.

_And a pot of coffee..._ A large mug, already full of the steaming liquid, was set on the table. A few ounces of coffee creamer were added to the mix.

Dolphin grabbed a spoon and sat down at the table, grinning in anticipation. _All part of an unbalanced, yet delicious, breakfast!_ She shoveled out some cereal and prepared to bite down---

_Snap-hiss._

"Good morning, Dolphin," Phibrizzo greeted her amiably, sitting down at the chair he'd teleported next to. "How's _your_ morning going..." He noticed for the first time that she was wincing at something. "...something wrong?"

Dolphin didn't hesitate to whip out a sign. '...I bit my tongue when you teleported in,' it said in messy handwriting. 'Why are you here so early, anyway?'

Phibrizzo's face darkened. "Mother knows, Dolphin. She knows I'm half-mazoku."

Dolphin's eyes narrowed. 'I knew it! I knew you couldn't hide it for long. Don't expect to hide here, if that's what you're thinking!'

"Don't go overboard, now," Phibrizzo said, holding up his hands in defense. "I never said she hated me. All I said was that she knows. Personally, I don't think she even cares if I'm part-monster or not as long as nothing changes behavior-wise."

'That's strange. How'd she find out, anyway?'

Phibrizzo took a few minutes to explain the circumstances surrounding Sylvia's discovery, including his battle against Arnold Long and his adoptive mother's full support of his actions. Following that, Dolphin relaxed somewhat and ate some of her toast before saying: 'You have a very strange foster mother.'

"Tell me something I _don't_ know. Anyway, she already knows about my teleportation and stuff like that; she doesn't know about Inuyasha or doughnut-brain, and I plan to keep it that way. In any case, she said that if I wanted to, I could stay all day and have dinner over here...just so long as I'm back by 9:00."

Dolphin sipped some coffee. 'So you're going to continue training that Flareon of yours, then?'

"For the morning, and part of the afternoon. After that I'm either going to stick around the gym, wander around for a bit, or find someone to battle."

'Alright with me; just don't burn anything down.'

"And you don't electrocute yourself, either," Phibrizzo answered, snide. "I still can't believe you're afraid of the hair dryer."

'What do you expect?' Dolphin said, then flipped the sign around. 'I don't like machines.'

"You use a Poké Ball to carry Jetsam around, you use a coffee maker everyday, you like listening to the radio, and you don't seem to mind using the toaster..." Phibrizzo reminded her.

'Don't change the subject, Phibrizzo! There are differences between machines and conveniences. The things you mentioned are conveniences; all those other things are machines.' _Flip_. 'Machines are evil.'

"Nom Anor would be a big fan of hers, that's for sure," Curtis could be heard muttering.

"Whoever he is, leave him out of it." Phibrizzo looked around. "Hey, where's Misty? Isn't she awake yet?"

'She's not in town,' Dolphin replied as she continued eating. 'She went someplace in the Hoenn region; she got an invitation inviting her and Togepi to visit. Should be back either tomorrow or Monday. I've got the place to myself until then.'

Phibrizzo smiled. "Now I've _really_ got to worry about you getting shocked."

Dolphin glared at him around a mouthful of cereal. 'I'm not about to get hit by a Spark while I'm swimming around. You're mistaking me for someone stupid.'

"Who said I was mistaken? This is the first time you've had this place to yourself for a prolonged period. You have this odd technophobia, and you're surrounded by machines. If you see one of those singing teddy bears sitting around, you're the one paying for damages."

Having had enough, Dolphin tore off a small piece of toast and 'accidentally' dropped it next to the chair. When she acted as if she were going after it, she reached under the table and grabbed Phibrizzo's ankle, then teleported out of the kitchen with the protesting pseudo-human in tow.

For a few minutes, the kitchen was quiet. Finally, Dolphin warped back in with a smile on her face. After throwing the piece of toast away, she settled back in and resumed eating in peace.

------

At the nearby Pokémon Center, the light over the emergency room's doors suddenly flicked on. Nurse Joy frowned; no emergency cases had come in, and she typically took charge of those. Had someone accidentally pressed the button after she'd explicitly told them not to?

Since it would be a few minutes before there'd be any activity in the lobby, Joy stepped into the emergency room to see what the matter was. Spotting a stray gurney near the emergency button, she started to wheel it back into place...and paused, noticing the condition of the sheets. The blankets had been stretched thin across the width of the gurney, and were wrapped tightly around it.

Checking underneath, Joy's breath almost caught in her throat: Phibrizzo was strapped to the bottom of the gurney by the sheets and the metal frame, an orange crammed halfway into his mouth. "What...how? Phibrizzo, how'd you get like that?"

Phibrizzo glared at her. "Mmss uhnnm mm uhnmmnh, mmnn mmh!" he said, which translated to: "Just untie me already, Miss Joy!"

Joy got to work untying Phibrizzo's bonds. As soon as he was able to get out from under the gurney and took the orange out of his mouth, he began muttering something about tartar sauce. "Phibrizzo, how'd you get like that?" Joy repeated, interrupting him.

"Stupid Dolphin won't admit she's scared of technology," he groused angrily, peeling the orange he held. "When I suggested that to her, the stupid fish brought me in here and tied me to the stupid cart and stuck this stupid orange in my mouth..." He took a bite out of the orange, ignoring the juice that dropped from his mouth. "...which doesn't taste too bad, actually..."

"You're okay otherwise, aren't you?"

"Mm-hmm." Phibrizzo swallowed what was in his mouth and made for the lobby, Joy a few steps behind him. "Sorry about the trouble. I'll be starting a little early today. How's Sunburst doing?"

"In perfect condition as always, Phibrizzo. It's nice that you're always so concerned about him," Joy commented off-hand.

"With that Team Rocket agent still out and about, I have to be," Phibrizzo said. "I need to be ready in case she tries anything. We already have a rematch planned; we just don't know when."

A nearby Chansey, seeing Phibrizzo and Joy approach the front desk, wandered over and handed the pseudo-human Flareon's Poké Ball. Thanking them, Phibrizzo exited the Center.

-----------

Two strangers in red flannel and khaki shorts, their hair hidden beneath twin fedoras, looked on as Phibrizzo left the center and went in a direction away from the gym. One of them---obviously female---turned to her partner. "Is that the kid that blondie's been complaining about?"

"The T-shirt and bracelets give him away," the other answered, his voice reeking of haughtiness. "After we watched the video of Stan and Ollie's battles with him, we know a great deal of what he can and can't do. He's immune to physical strikes, tranquilizers, fire, and poisonous gases. He can teleport and shoot flame from his hands. What does this leave?"

The woman smiled. "Nothing direct. So, tell me: what do we know of the Water Dancer, Lauren Aqua?"

-------

Location: Cerulean City gym

After finishing up breakfast, Dolphin's first intention was to see if the radio had come up with anything interesting. Admittedly, some of the music around here was catchy; she didn't know what the terms 'jazz' and 'new age' meant, but she liked the songs they described.

There was a knock at the door. Sighing quietly, Dolphin took her time getting there. She opened the door and stuck a sign through it: 'The gym leader's gone. Come back another day.'

"I'm not here to challenge the gym leader," a female voice whined. "I want to challenge _you_."

'Tough,' was Dolphin's only answer, and she shut the door after she'd made certain that the visitor had seen the reply.

-------

"_That_ worked out well," the male of the duo chuckled.

"Must not be a people person," the female said. "Let's try a different approach."

-------

There was another knock at the door; this time, Dolphin didn't bother to answer it, instead leaning against the wall and taking out a book to read.

"Please?" the same voice whimpered, sounding on the verge of crying. "How could you do this to your greatest fan? I came all the way from Lavaridge Town just to meet you! How could you do this?"

Taking out a magic marker, she opened the door and replied via sign: 'Like this', then scribbled the words "Go away" on the woman's forehead before slamming the door on her. Rolling her eyes, Dolphin sat back down and started reading.

-------

Outside, the man could _not_ stop laughing. "Shut up," the woman growled. "It wasn't _that_ funny."

"You're right, it wasn't funny...it was _hilarious!_ That woman has style, I'll give her that!"

The woman gritted her teeth. "I'll show you both style. Let's try Plan C."

-------

Dolphin's attention was caught by an amusing factoid in her book. _So there are actually water types that can use electric attacks, and vice versa? I'll have to look into that...then again, I did see Misty's Gyarados using Flamethrower once..._ She grinned. _So many possibilities..._

The knock at the door repeated itself. Shaking her head, she slipped a set of plugs into her ears and continued reading.

"Please?" the voice called. "I've got a note from the Indigo Plateau office! If you refuse a battle, you could lose your rights!"

Dolphin turned in the general direction of the auditorium. _'Jetsam, could you do me a favor?'_ she shouted silently, her voice heard only by the gym's water-types. '_Could you do something about that clown who keeps trying to get into the gym?'_

The complaints from outside kept up for about a minute and a half before they were cut off by a startled shriek. Dolphin continued reading, oblivious to this.

-------

Two very sopping-wet people stood fuming outside the gym, drenched to the bone by Jetsam's Water Gun. The Vaporeon hadn't been picky about its targets, choosing first the 'challenger' before moving on to her companion. Its job done, it turned around and left, re-entering the gym through an open window in the back.

The liquid blast had ruined their respective fedoras beyond repair. The male's short haircut was originally a mass of tiny pins, but now the whole mess lay tangled on his head; despite this, it looked to be red with a white streak down the middle. The female's hair was shoulder-length, and---much like the male's hair---a soaked mess of the same two colors.

"That miserable...little...hag!" the man sputtered. "She had the nerve...to attack us while we weren't looking!? It took _hours_ to get these dry-cleaned!"

The female gritted her teeth. "Forget plans. That nasty water-user just ticked me off!" She whipped out a Great Ball and activated it in the same motion. "Ninetales, come out and blast on through with Flamethrower!"

In a flash of red light a Ninetales materialized, howling. Without further ado, it disgorged a steady stream of fire from its mouth.

----------

Location: Blue Forest hotel, room 612

Yawning, Domino woke up out of a sound sleep. It had been her first good dream in recent weeks; Phibrizzo had agreed to work for Team Rocket as Giovanni's secretary, and had been given orders not to admit her two adversaries into the boss's office. Each time they tried to enter, Phibrizzo would give them the boot; eventually, the two were fired for refusal to report for missions. Domino allowed herself to grin when she remembered their expressions.

_Funtime is over. Back to reality. Updates first, then breakfast._

Slowly approaching a nearby table lamp, she pulled the on/off chain a few times in rhythmic succession. Being a fake, the lamp itself didn't switch on; in a clear area next to the television, a wide monitor and control board popped out of the wall instead. After examining the board's layout, she manipulated the monitor's images---sent to the television via satellite---and checked for any recent disturbances. What she saw almost made her jaw drop.

---------

The blazing attack slammed into the gym doors, blasted a hole in them and continued on, unabated. It roared straight for Dolphin, who as yet seemed not to notice---

As powerful an attack as it is, a Flamethrower is still no match for the flood. A solid jet of water burst from Dolphin's left hand, who still hadn't looked up from her book. It ripped through Ninetales' Flamethrower and slammed into the firefox, who in turn was blasted back to his trainer, sending the both of them sprawling.

The man hurried over. "Flame! Are you okay? That was an awful thing to do!"

'Flame' accepted the man's offered hand and pulled herself up; her Ninetales, though, was unconscious from the mysterious water wave. Recalling it, she glared at the aqua-haired woman as Dolphin removed the earplugs she'd had. "I'm alright, Crash, but _she_ won't be!"

'Neither will you, once the Pokémon League catches word of...' Dolphin's sign read. She flipped it a few seconds later. '...the fact that you launched an attack against an official gym.' _Flip_. 'And after I specifically told you to go away, too. Sad.'

"A substitute has no authority to turn a challenger away," 'Crash' declared. "You had no right to attack us just now."

'The gym leader specifically told me not to admit any challengers, so I'm justified,' Dolphin admitted. 'She didn't want me to crush them...' _Flip_. '...like "a submarine that's gone too deep", whatever that means.' She finally looked up from her book, smiling. Her next signs dripped with confidence. 'You have about as much of a chance of beating me as a rookie.' 'Quit embarrassing yourselves, pay me for the door repair charge, and go home.'

"I will _not_ let us get beaten by mere _fish!_" Flame yelled.

"That woman thinks her water can extinguish our fire?" Crash added, activating a Poké Ball and releasing a Camerupt. "No water-type has beaten me yet!"

--------------

Domino sat back against the bed, shaking her head. "This is just _sad_," she said. "Those two will be either real depressed or r-r-r-real angry by the end of the morning."

Not wanting to watch this any further, she decided to see if she could get a sneak peak at the training Phibrizzo was giving his Pokémon. Scanning the area between the City and Mount Moon, she finally spotted the two of them sitting near a river, having a chat. Zeroing in on the scene and wishing there was some way to get audio, she tried to read Phibrizzo's lips the best she could.

-----------

"...I know it didn't turn out as well as I hoped for," Phibrizzo was saying, "but that was simply because it was Dolphin we were doing with at the time. Normal trainers wouldn't have taken those measures. You've been moping about this for a while, so chin up already."

'If you say so,' Flareon growled half-heartedly.

"I _do_ say so." Phibrizzo smiled. "Now, Curtis---you remember Curtis, right?---came up with this idea that's been stuck in his head for some years, but until recently he couldn't come up with a specific description for it. First off, give me a Flamethrower."

Flareon stood up and fired off his attack, extinguishing it after a few seconds.

Phibrizzo nodded his approval. "Okay. Let's try a Shadow Ball this time."

Like before, Flareon blasted the dark orb across the field without much difficulty.

Phibrizzo leaned forward, resting his head on his knees. "Hmmm...I wonder...if I had to guess right, you can't get the two energy sources to mix together right off the bat...but I wonder if it could be done _after_ he..." He trailed off and didn't speak for about five seconds, then smiled. "It's a start, anyway. We'll try that some more later."

After a few moments of silent thinking he stood up, bracing himself. "Now, we're going to do what we did last time. I'll be throwing every non-fire attack I have at you; what I want you to do is to dodge as many as you can. I have a Super Potion on hand if you take damage, but the whole point is _not_ to..."

---------

Domino smiled knowingly, getting the gist of the kid's conversation. "Trying to mix a fire- and a dark-type attack, huh? Cute. It's not going to work, but I'll give him points for trying."

_I mean, really. If people could just mix attack types together the same way Pokémon types are, that would mess up the whole system...although I can probably imagine someone trying to mix Lanturn's Thunderbolt and Water Gun together. At least then, you'd have a dangerous attack...but Flamethrower and Shadow Ball? What's that kid trying to do?_

She looked on as Phibrizzo leaped up, flipped rapidly in mid-air and brought one foot down with excessive force. Flareon jumped out of the way as clods of dirt were scattered from the point of impact. As soon as the little creep landed, he began pressing his attack to the point where his Pokémon found it more and more difficult to dodge.

_That kid's spooky when he gets like that. I know I probably shouldn't ask this, but where'd he get his talents from? Is he even human?...Looking at this, now I **really** hope Team Rocket takes the hints he's dropping._

After watching Phibrizzo keep it up for a few minutes---after which Flareon finally got hit, and was subsequently treated with his trainer's Super Potion---curiosity got the best of Domino, and she switched over back to the Gym exterior.

The area in front of the Gym was, for the lack of a better term, an absolute mess. The entire ground was wet and muddy; the Camerupt that had been released earlier, plus an Ampharos and a Blaziken, were laid out like drenched rats along the edges of the mud. Both the respective trainers were staring slack-jawed, alternating between their Pokémon and the person who'd bested them.

Dolphin held up a sign, and Domino zeroed in on it. "Just because I use water attacks doesn't mean that electricity will stop me..." she read aloud, then paused as Dolphin flipped the sign around. "...I'm tougher than the average human. And keep in mind that I don't always need..." Another pause. "...to use my Pokémon to wipe you out. I've given you enough warning...now go away and never return, or you'll find out...why I'm called 'Deep Sea Dolphin'. Now, for the last time..."

Finally, Dolphin stopped flipping the sign around and put it away...only to pull out another one in its place. Only two words occupied the space: **"GO AWAY!"**

Domino couldn't help it. As Crash and Flame recalled their Pokémon, yelled something at Dolphin and scrambled away, she doubled over in laughter. _After all this time, seeing those two getting their tails kicked feels great!_

Shaking her head as she stopped laughing, she stepped over to the telephone and dialed for room service, taking care to deactivate the viewscreen first. _Maybe I should pay Dolphin a visit and warn her about what those two call 'revenge'..._ she thought for a few seconds...then smiled. _Nah. She can handle herself._

--------

After the two noisy trainers turned a corner and were lost to sight, Dolphin took in her surroundings. Although she didn't show it, part of her was worried at the damage that had been wrought. _Maybe Phibrizzo's right about me being ill-prepared_, she thought. _Now, what did Misty tell me to do in case of an emergency?..._

'Contact the local police,' Jetsam's voice crooned as the Vaporeon sauntered into the foyer from elsewhere in the building. 'Let them know exactly what happened.'

_Ah, that's right._ 'Let me grab my sibling and his Flareon,' Dolphin said silently. 'I'll be right back.'

Shortly afterward, while Phibrizzo and Sunburst reluctantly stood guard at the gym to keep intruders out, Dolphin warped over to the police station to let the officers know what happened. By the time an hour had gone by, repairs had been made on the property and gym. Officer Jenny offered to patrol the area just to make sure the two trainers had really left, to which both siblings agreed. Phibrizzo decided to resume working with Flareon at a nearby abandoned lot, just in case of another attack. Finally Dolphin posted a "Gym leader not in...try again later" sign outside and went about her business, and things were calm and peaceful again.

...At least, for the rest of the morning.

------

Time: 9:19a.m.

Location: Blue Forest hotel, room 214

Flame sat on one of the room's full-sized beds, staring straight at the wall and saying nothing. She couldn't recall a time when she'd last gotten so angry...for that matter, she couldn't recall ever getting defeated so thoroughly. The fact that the substitute hadn't used her Pokémon to battle them had hurt even worse. Aside from Domino, she couldn't think of anyone else who _really_ ticked her off.

The plan was for her to challenge Lauren Aqua---who had been called "The Water Dancer" in various advertisements---to a formal battle, under the guise of a gym challenge. Crash had in his possession a spray can falsely labeled as an air freshener; in reality it was a potent combination of Sleep Powder and Stun Spore created by Team Rocket scientists, enough to knock anyone out for most of the day. While Flame battled Lauren, Crash would've snuck around and used it to incapacitate the water wielder. It would've been a breeze to use Lauren as a hostage in order to ensure Phibrizzo's cooperation.

Except they hadn't even been able to get inside the building, and now the police were alerted to their presence. Phibrizzo had defeated first Domino, and later Stan and Ollie; the latter two were now cooling their heels in jail. The way things were going, she and Crash would be joining them.

And there was no way she was going to let that...that..._snake_ laugh about it later!

Crash stalked out of the nearby bathroom, finished drying off from Lauren's attacks. His short, spiky haircut was back in place; and aside from a copy of his earlier attire, he now wore a light jacket for a baseball team called The Charmeleons. "It's around 70 degrees today," Flame remarked. "Is the jacket really necessary, Crash?"

"If you can't take the heat..." Crash said, letting his sentence hang in the air unfinished.

"True, true. Now, what are we going to do about Phibrizzo and..." Flame made quote marks in the air. "...Deep Sea Dolphin?"

"Simple," Crash uttered darkly. "If being a sneak didn't work, we'll need to overwhelm that muted shark with absolute force."

Flame sighed. "We came, we tried, we got wasted. Anything else?"

"We try again. Is that so hard?"

"Listen to me, here. You don't want to be like those losers in the Hoenn region, do you?" Flame said softly, referring to the once-infamous pair of Jessie and James. "They've become so obsessed with catching an electric rat that they've run up a huge debt just to do it, and for what? Failures that, for all I know, number in the hundreds." She sighed again. "I'm just not into travelling like I used to, you hear? We need to plan this out."

"Planning is how we got into this situation," Crash told her fiercely.

"And planning is how we'll get out of it," Flame replied in the same tone, her face angry. "No use being a Fire Master if all we do is mess things up."

Crash folded his arms. "What do you suggest, Flame?"

Flame motioned for Crash to sit down, waiting until he did so before answering. "Our mistake was to assume that Lauren Aqua behaved like everyone else as far as battling goes. Now that we know better, we need to assume that she's as unconventional as her brother."

Crash tapped his chin. "So we respond by being unconventional as well. As that what you're saying?"

"Exactly. We need to outdo those two siblings somehow."

"Liiiike...how?" Crash drawled.

"Well, you remember that Marauder character who rampaged through Johto a while back...?"

"Yes, but I don't see how...wait a second," Crash said, smiling. "You're thinking of those Dark Balls he was using, right?"

"You betcha." Flame giggled; the childish laugh had a sinister tone to it. "The Marauder got too power hungry and tried to take advantage of Celebi's power. The Eevee evolutions are strong, but they don't possess that much strength. Lets see how well the siblings fare when they face those they've grown attached to."

Crash smirked. "You see, that's one of the reasons why I married you. We think on the same wavelength."

Together, they chuckled. The chuckle grew into full-blown laughter as the full extent of their idea hit home. This kept up for some seconds, until a loud thumping noise from the floor got their attention. As the two quieted down, they heard an elderly man's voice shout: "Hey, keep it quiet up there! I'm trying to do a crossword here, and you're not helping!"

The two of them nervously shuffled towards the door, not daring to make any noise.

-----------

Location: Upstairs

Domino sat back against a pillow, concerned. _That little creep just keeps pulling surprises out of his hat, doesn't he?_

Ever since Crash and Flame had unsuccessfully attacked the Cerulean Gym, Phibrizzo and his little Pokémon had started to make some headway in their practice. She'd known that it was impossible to mix two types of attacks in the same Pokémon, but the uber-brat had settled on a different approach. If the experiment proved to be a success...

Finally, Domino just shook her head. _My team's going to be ready for him, no matter what happens. The sooner he's fully prepared, the sooner I can defeat him and put this troublesome twerp out of my life._ She rolled her eyes. _Is this how Jessie and James feel all the time? It's as if they feel **obligated** to catch that single trainer's Pokémon, the same way I feel obligated to battle Phibrizzo..._

Domino gave some thought to her present situation. She'd scanned all routes leading in and out of Cerulean City, and hadn't been any signs of activity other than the occasional trainer passing through. The only Pokémon sighted were those native to this area, which were mostly flying- and grass-types (and the random Raticate), as well as the water-types that the city was known for.

If she didn't know better, she'd think that she'd been sent to this hotel on _purpose..._

_Wait a second! I know what's going on!_

Two minutes later, Domino was gone.

-----------

Location: Abandoned lot, not far from Cerulean Gym

A black sphere, a small sheet of flame lingering on one side, shot at Phibrizzo. Reaching out, he caught hold of the orb and absorbed it into his body. Concentrating, he held one hand into the air and caused that same sphere to rematerialize and blast away from him into the sky. The attack exploded seconds later, but no one in the lot was paying attention to it.

Phibrizzo turned to regard his Flareon, who was panting a little. "I think that's a little better than before," he said at last. "Just because we can't use both abilities simultaneously doesn't mean we can't use them one right after the other. With some more practice, it'll be perfect."

'Can we take a short break?' Sunburst asked, panting. 'We've been at this ever since we got off guard duty.'

"Sure."

Sunburst wandered into a corner and curled up there, deciding to take a brief nap. Leaning against the back of a nearby building, Phibrizzo stared up at the sky; there were thick clouds overhead, but judging by the presence of blue sky here and there... _It'll be a little while before it rains, so we still have some additional time for training later. In the meantime..._

Phibrizzo reached into subspace, pulling out the flute that his adoptive mother had given him. Thinking back to a few songs he wrote out of boredom in years past, he selected one and started to play.

_...nothing like a little melody to soothe the savage beast._

"I'm not _that_ fat, Phibrizzo," Curtis's voice---unheard throughout most of the morning---complained.

Phibrizzo just smiled as he continued to play, losing himself in the melody. For those few minutes, he almost forgot that Inuyasha and Curtis were even there...

...or that the music had attracted a few passers-by.

To him, everyone was non-existant. All that was there was the music.

----------

_To be continued_


	33. Chapter Nineteen, Part B

WHAT INSERTION?

by Curtis Wildcat

_Chapter Nineteen, Part B --- Rocket Ganging Up_

----------

**(Cue theme)**

----------

Time: 9:45a.m.

_Amazing,_ Phibrizzo thought, counting what he had of the local currency carefully. He was alone now; the small crowd who'd been listening to him had since dispersed. _They must've thought that I was homeless or something. I actually have enough to get a full meal **and** supplies...and that was just for a ten-minute concert!_

Inuyasha, who'd been more or less asleep since he'd returned from patrol much earlier that morning, had woken up and heard the music Phibrizzo was playing on his flute. "Shows what people will do when they recognize something good."

"And you said you made that song up yourself?" Curtis asked. "Must've taken you a little bit."

_Like I told you guys before: when you're doing not much else except travel, you get bored a lot._

The sound of someone clapping diverted his attention elsewhere. Phibrizzo looked up, focusing on Officer Jenny. "Hi, Officer. Did those guys show up again?"

"No, it's not that," Jenny said apologetically. "I just wanted to congratulate you on that song."

"You heard it?"

"I caught the tail end of it. I was passing through when I shall everyone gathered around this lot, so I drove over to see what was happening. What made you start playing?"

Phibrizzo looked over at Flareon, who was more alert than it had been before his performance. "Flareon was resting after our last session, and I was bored. I didn't want to sit and do nothing, and I had my flute on hand..."

Jenny nodded. "I see. Thanks. If you're going to be doing that, though, I suggest taking your act elsewhere. You don't want people thinking you're a vagrant, do you?"

"Good point," Phibrizzo admitted. "Don't want to give the wrong impression..."

"Glad you understand," Jenny said, smiling as she walking away. "Now, don't get yourself into any trouble!"

As the officer left, Phibrizzo thought about what to do. "Let's see...obviously we can't practice anymore around here, so I guess going back outside the city's in order. At about 11:30, we can find ourselves a restaurant." He started to go outside the lot.

'It's alright with me,' Flareon agreed, trotting over to walk beside him.

------------

Time: Half an hour later

Location: Cerulean Gym

_Rrrrring. Rrrrring._

The telephone in the lobby started ringing; Dolphin, who was reading a magazine about Pokémon Contests in the kitchen and couldn't answer it anyway, looked up uneasily before deciding to ignore it.

Jetsam, in the meantime, got tired of it ringing and decided to do something about it. Wandering into the lobby, she jumped and knocked the phone off the hook with her tail. Satisfied, she started to walk away, but stopped when she heard a faint voice from the phone. "Hello? Hello?"

Jetsam sat down near the receiver. "Vaaa?" she asked, translated as: 'Hello?'

"...I can't believe I actually expected her to say something," the person on the other end said. "Look, is this Lauren Aqua's Vaporeon?"

"Vaaa-porr," Jetsam said, hoping it came across as an affirmative and wishing that more people could understand Pokémon speech.

"I'm actually talking with a Pokémon...I must be out of my mind. But I heard that she understands you, so do me a favor and pass this message along, would you?"

"Vaaa-porr."

"Tell her that the people who attacked the gym earlier are Team Rocket's Fire Masters, and that getting defeated only makes them angrier. They stop at nothing to complete a mission."

"Vaporrr...porreeeon?" 'Yes, I get it. Anything else?'

"Oh, and if she asks who called, tell her it was someone who hates being left out of the loop. Got it? Good. Bye." _Click_.

Jetsam stared down at the phone, hearing the dial tone on the other end. Then, since she lacked opposable thumbs (and height), she left the phone where it was, turned and ventured into the kitchen to tell Dolphin what happened.

--------

A few blocks from the Blue Forest hotel, Domino stepped away from the payphone and shook her head in disbelief. _I just talked to a Vaporeon...I hope I'm not going crazy._

--------

Time: 11:00a.m.

About a quarter-mile south of Cerulean, Flareon and Phibrizzo had continued trying to perfect the move they were working on, but had gotten challenged by a trainer passing through from Saffron City. Despite getting caught in Hypno's grasp, Sunburst---following Phibrizzo's advice by not panicking---was able to break free of the Pokémon's Confusion attack via a Shadow Ball. A single Quick Attack was all it took to finish the business.

As the trainer left shortly afterward, a man could be heard applauding from somewhere behind Phibrizzo. The half-mazoku turned to see a man of average height (and a lot of weight), curly brown hair and sunglasses, and a strange oval-shaped device hung around his neck. The man had all the marks of a tourist, minus a camera. "Nice battling," he said with a friendly smile, his voice low-pitched.

Phibrizzo nodded as Flareon sauntered over and sat down near him. "Thanks. Something you need?"

"Recently, I've been throwing together a mini-league, of sorts...reserved exclusively for very talented trainers. There are a handful of facilities around Kanto that are being built as I speak; the heads of those facilities will test trainers in ways they've never experienced, even in the major tournaments. I've already selected the best I could find to run those facilities, and they'll stand ready to accept challengers early next month. You seem smart enough to last; are you game?"

"I like it, but I doubt my schedule would allow it," Phibrizzo said, shrugging. "I'm not from Kanto, and I'm in school on weekdays anyway. I just come in on weekends to train Sunburst for an upcoming match."

"So, you're not from Kanto...but what do you mean by 'I just come in on weekends'?"

"Do you mind keeping a secret?"

The man nodded. "Sure. What is it?"

"I teleport in. From Japan."

The man held in his surprise rather well; all he did was arch an eyebrow. "Must be a mean commute," he quipped.

Phibrizzo laughed. "I'm used to it. Anyhow, I know someone who could probably take you up on your offer. If you have time in the near future, drop by the Cerulean Gym and ask for Lauren Aqua. For all her oddities, her Vaporeon's good enough to beat anyone. Seriously."

"I'll keep that in mind," the man said. "Thanks for listening."

"You're welcome," Phibrizzo said. "Oh---and when you get there, make sure you tell her that you're not challenging anyone. The gym leader's out somewhere, and she was left in charge; a couple of bad guys decided to attack the gym, not realizing that no challenges were being taken...and she wiped them out after they knocked down the door. If she hears that I recommended you, there shouldn't be any misunderstandings."

"Thanks for the advice," the man said, walking towards the city. "See you around."

"Likewise."

After the man walked towards the city and out of sight, Phibrizzo couldn't resist telling Curtis: _Wow. He looks like **you'd** look twenty years down the road._

"There's an insult somewhere in there...I just know it," Curtis muttered half-seriously.

_You just keep thinking that,_ Phibrizzo murmured, making sure neither Curtis nor Inuyasha heard him. After deciding to sit down for a few minutes, he said 'aloud': _Eventful morning. I wonder if those idiots who attacked Dolphin are going to show up again._

"You heard...saw..._whatever..._her explanation," Inuyasha reminded him. "They said that they'd be back, and that things were going to get ugly."

_They already are. I mean, red **and** white hair? That goes beyond the bounds of good taste._

"Maybe you shouldn't attend any sports events, then," Curtis suggested. "If you thought that was ugly...well, two words: dry heaves."

_I'll take your word for it._ "So," Phibrizzo said aloud, "what does everyone say to an early lunch? I'm starting to crave chimichangas."

"You could try that Blue Forest place," Inuyasha suggested, straightening.

"Blue Forest? Aren't their meals rather pricy?"

"After your little flute performance earlier? Are you kidding me? Besides, they can't be any more expensive than that brunch you had at that waffle house the other day."

"And they must run a pretty good business for them to get all those customers," Curtis pointed out, having noticed that the restaurant and hotel was pretty full the first time they'd toured the city.

"Point taken. Alright, let's get over there before all the good seats are taken. Sunburst, grab hold."

Flareon grabbed Phibrizzo's shoe with his front paws. Without further delay, the pseudo-human warped away.

---------

Location: The Blue Forest

Located on the ground floor, the Blue Forest restaurant was the centerpiece of the hotel complex. Wide and spacious, there was space enough for two hundred people; since it was the lull before the lunch rush, there were only around thirty. The food, service, and atmosphere was among the best that could be found in Kanto. Out of all the places to eat in the region, only a few restaurants in Saffron and Celadon (and Indigo Plateau, come tournament time) surpassed the Blue Forest in overall quality.

As soon as Phibrizzo and Flareon arrived, someone was already there to greet them...and give them some bad news. "It's okay for you to come in," the skinny, mustached man told them, "but your Pokémon's going to need to be recalled, young sir. Safety precautions."

Phibrizzo looked down at Flareon, who mewled something at him. Nodding, he turned to the server. "He's hungry, and he's craving spicy food about as much as me. If anything happens, I'll take responsibility."

"But---"

"Come on...I came all this way, and we were both looking forward to eating here. Trainers need to prove that they can take responsibility for their Pokémon's actions, right? If management gets ticked off about it, have them talk to _me_. Besides, you have thirty or so people that can keep an eye on me. Can't get much more reasonable than that."

The server didn't expect a logical argument from someone who looked eight years old. Even so, he remained skeptical; he stood there for a few moments, staring at Phibrizzo and rubbing his chin absentmindedly...

...and something clicked. He recognized this face. To him, that face meant two things. He was talking to the brother of Lauren Aqua, both of whom he'd seen walking around a few times...

...and since the server was getting some cash under the table from Team Rocket, he knew that the kid was on the organization's mind.

Only one thing to do.

"Very well then, young sir. Right this way."

------

"So, what would you like?" the server asked as the two of them took their seats. "We cater to people of all ages and tastes..."

Phibrizzo scanned the menu, just to ensure that what he wanted was available. "That won't be a problem. I'll have the chicken and cheese chimichanga, heavy on the pepper and with a couple extra packets of salsa on the side...and a medium glass of chocolate milk." He turned to Flareon, who had his front paws on the table and was scanning his own menu. "What about you, Sunburst?"

Flareon transferred his request to Phibrizzo, who nodded and said: "Same dish, smaller size...and with a bowl of water instead of milk---"

"_You!_" someone blurted out.

Phibrizzo glanced out the corner of his eye, finally seeing Domino---minus her cap, and wearing a light jacket over her Team Rocket uniform---march up to the table and glare at him angrily. To the server, he completed his order. "---and an apple."

"It'll be ready shortly, sir," the man said as he finished taking note of what they'd asked for. Turning on his heels, he walked to the kitchen at a brisk pace.

In the meantime, Phibrizzo turned to Domino and answered her. "Me. Your point?"

Domino's angry glare diminished to a more..._subdued_ stare. "What are you doing here?" she asked, taking hold of another chair at the table and carefully sitting down.

"Grabbing lunch. You?"

"The same."

The following silence was thick enough to substitute for Weezing's Smog attack. The other customers, who'd been watching since Domino's arrival, turned away when the situation calmed down. "So," Phibrizzo finally said, "what happened to your arm? Fall down the stairs or something?"

Domino grimaced, her voice dropping a notch. "Don't laugh. I was attacked by a shrunken old man and a giant winged Tauros. No one believes me, not even the grunts who were there at the time."

Phibrizzo's jaw dropped a few inches. "H-Happosai??" he managed to sputter. "How'd you...never mind."

"You _know_ them?"

Phibrizzo quickly explained to her about Happosai, and gave her a quick rundown on Taro (including what he knew about the martial artist's troubles). He then told her about what had happened when Dolphin had first 'met' the shrunken martial artist. At the end of it, Domino was gritting her teeth. "So, _you're_ the ones responsible. If your sister hadn't dropped that man there, I wouldn't be walking around with an injured arm!"

"Blame Happosai, not us," Phibrizzo replied calmly. "For that matter, blame Dolphin for not dropping him in a mental institution."

"At least we agree on something," Domino said grudgingly. "I know of a place in the Orange Islands she could've sent him..."

"But then Taro would come along looking to get his name changed," Phibrizzo told her. "Tradition is all well and good, but there are times when it's just not appropriate." He sighed. "I could go into more detail, but I don't feel like dwelling on this. Some jerks attacked the gym because Dolphin wasn't taking challenges, and I want to help her out in case they come back...so I'm trying to figure out what to do."

Domino took a deep breath, trying to decide if what she was about to say would be worth it. _Is it really worth it, the chance that I could be deemed a traitor to Team Rocket? Do I really despise those two that much...someone who hates me without good reason to?_

_Well, if they don't figure it out...I guess it's worth a chance._

"Crash and Flame," she hissed.

Phibrizzo looked up. "Who? What?"

"Crash and Flame," Domino repeated, keeping her voice low enough. "The Fire Masters of Team Rocket."

"_Fire Masters?_" Phibrizzo whispered to himself, his eyes cynical. A tad louder, he asked: "Where do they get off calling themselves Fire Masters?"

"I don't know much," Domino admitted. "I know that they're a husband and wife duo from the Hoenn region. Crash tried to take the gym challenge as a kid, but his water-types got wasted at the region's fire-type gym. He got so into fire-types because of this that he battles exclusively using them, and got into Team Rocket on his reputation after he moved here. There hasn't been a single water-type that his fire Pokémon haven't been able to beat...but his winning streak's made him arrogant, pushy, vain...a perfect match for Flame.

"Speaking of Flame, she tried competing in the region's Pokémon Contests but kept on getting floored. One day she saw Crash battle someone, and was enamored at the way he swept through his opponents. They got married a few years later, went to Kanto for their honeymoon, and decided to stay."

"How do you even know all this?" Phibrizzo asked skeptically.

"They won't stop bragging about it. They hate me for some reason, you know."

Phibrizzo smirked. "Hearing your voice, I'm not surprised."

"That's the third or fourth time you've made fun of my voice. Why?" Domino inquired testily.

"Let's not get too far off track." Phibrizzo turned serious, his eyes seeming to flicker yellow. "I thought you were supporting Team Rocket and helping them capture me. From what I know of you, it's not like you to divulge information so freely, and I _know_ you're not having a change of heart. Tell me what's going on."

Domino would've folded her arms if she could. Instead, she let her free arm hang over her chair's armrest. "Don't get the wrong idea, squeaker. It's already been proven that dirty tactics, like the ones Stan and Ollie used against you, don't work. Now, _listen carefully:_ in approximately six weeks from now, I plan to battle you; doesn't matter where, as long as it's on even terms. If something happens to you during that time, I won't get the chance. Besides, I'd like to learn what Crash and Flame have against me..."

The server stopped by the table at this point, bringing Phibrizzo's chocolate milk. Seeing Domino at the table, he set the milk down and asked: "Anything I can get for our favorite customer?"

Domino smiled, looking embarassed. "I'll try the lasagna dish this time, Al...with some shredded parsley sprinkled on it...and a small cola," she said, playing the "outgoing tourist" act for all it was worth. Only those who knew her could figure out that it was just that: an act.

That wasn't to say she didn't like the Blue Forest's food; hardly anyone ever left the restaurant unsatisfied. Besides, she was known to the staff for the generous tips she left behind whenever she ate here.

After the server left with Domino's order, she continued talking. "...and put it an end to it before things get any nastier. They're already pushing the boss to fire me because of what happened to my arm."

"What does that have to do anything?"

Domino's eyes narrowed. "When that lousy---I mean, when _Taro_ attacked that perverted little locust, I got too close and was brushed aside almost casually...wound up landing on my arm when I fell. Nothing broke, but..." She growled at the memory. "Shortly afterwards the old man pulled out some sort of bombs and tried attacking the bull-man with them, but misfired and ultimately destroyed the boat." _And released the Carvanha we were capturing, but I won't say that to him._

"I blacked out and woke up a few minutes later back at Seafoam Beach...I don't know if we washed up there, or if that Taro guy took pity on us and dropped us off. One of our radios somehow stayed intact. I couldn't move my arm without pain, I was mad at Happosai, and I'd failed another mission...I was so angry at everyone and everything that my common sense just quit working..."

Domino trailed off, staring at the table. Phibrizzo looked at her in wonder, curious. "What do you mean?"

"...That transmission lasted thirty seconds, and every third word out of my mouth was profanity." The agent palmed her forehead, upset at herself for what she'd said and done.

Phibrizzo's eyes widened as he sat there, stunned. "...Whoa. You're serious? I wasn't aware that people were that vulgar around here."

Sunburst's quiet crooning sounded a bit empty, as if he too was surprised. In the back of Phibrizzo's mind, Curtis was trying to clear his head by shaking it rapidly and repeatedly muttering "Shut up, shut up, shut up". Inuyasha rolled his eyes, mildly perturbed but otherwise calm.

"Don't rub it in," Domino growled, annoyed. "On top of that, no one believed what I saw, especially not Crash and Flame. They'd heard the transmission, and now they're trying to get the boss to fire me because of this."

"No doubt." Phibrizzo took a sip of his drink, still a bit shellshocked. "Just be careful not to use that language around me, okay? My parents don't want me hanging out with people like that."

_And in my current state, I'm in no condition to deny him even if I wanted to._ "Anyhow, now you know. I can't help you with those two directly, but I can warn you that they won't play nice anymore. I've already warned Aqua about them, so I've done what I can."

"I doubt she'd care," Phibrizzo murmured. "I've given up trying to understand how that walking fish's mind works."

The server dropped by long enough to drop off Domino's soda. The T.R. agent took a sip of it half-heartedly, hoping she hadn't done the wrong thing by talking to an enemy.

"...What does that soda taste like?"

Domino looked up at Phibrizzo. _What?_ "Why do you want to know?"

"...I can't have sugar."

"You're not diabetic, are you?" Domino asked, telling herself that she wasn't concerned...just curious.

"No, it's not that...it's just that I literally freak out if I have anything more than an ounce or two of stuff like that."

"Well, it's sweet, and it tingles all the way down...has a bit of tang to it..."

---------

And so time passed as the three of them---Domino, Phibrizzo, and Flareon---ate their lunches in peace. The former two engaged in small talk for part of the time, setting their rivalry aside for the time being.

After Domino tipped the server a _way_-above average 40 and journeyed back to her hotel room, her mind began wandering. _I wonder why I was acting so nice to him? Was it just because I didn't want to start a fight in my condition? For all the things he can do, he hides his sympathy well..._

_Maybe it's because by looking at him, I'm reminded of the childhood I never had. Who'd think that someone who looks so young could be concerned about certain things, like his own health? I started acting a lot like him before I became a teenager, but I couldn't take pleasure in the simple things in life...while **he** manages to be aloof and friendly at the same time._

_Even if I'm supposed to dislike him, that doesn't mean I can't respect him._

_...At least a little bit._

Dispelling those thoughts from her head, she returned to the upper hallways. After entering her hotel room, Domino re-activated the viewscreen and checked for any updates on Crash and Flame's mission...

...and narrowed her eyes. _I see what you're doing, you two. If you continue with this, you'll be making the worst mistake of your lives. I'll personally guarantee it._

--------

While Vaporeon was taking a snooze near the front door, Dolphin was in the auditorium, going through the same book she'd been reading when Crash and Flame had decided to attack the gym. _With all these potential combinations, I could ace those Contests that they'll be starting soon...sounds like a lot of fun._

Not paying much attention, she didn't notice as someone cut a hole in the window above her head and silently removed the glass. She _did_ take notice when a thick, powdery fog drifted into the room through the hole...and growled to herself as she felt herself slipping into the darkness.

For all the abilities that---in her mind---marked her as a mazoku, she still had a set each of lungs and gills...and she needed to breathe. Unlike Phibrizzo, she was presently incapable of living without air, and she couldn't hold her breath for very long.

_Feel so stiff...so tired...what is this...? Got to..._

Dolphin unsteadily climbed to her feet, took a few steps towards the stairs, and pitched forward onto the floor as she blacked out. Her book dropped from her fingers and fell beneath the next row of seats.

Up above, Flame smiled behind her oxygen mask as she climbed down from the window and landed on the stairs. As the mist---unused from that morning's failed plan---drifted into other parts of the gym, she looked down haughtily at Dolphin. "Be thankful that _you're_ not the target, because I really would've thrashed you if you were," she muttered, removing the mask from her face. Taking a thick cord from her pack, she bound Dolphin's hands behind her back before moving on elsewhere.

---------

Shortly after Phibrizzo and Sunburst left the Blue Forest behind, feeling better after a nice meal, they made a short trip to a local shop in order to purchase various supplies. With the items paid for and stashed away in subspace, they wandered over to a lesser used training location just north of the city.

Upon arriving, Phibrizzo started to explain to Flareon what they were going to do next...

An earsplitting noise rent the air in two, and he immediately forgot what he was about to say, throwing his hands over his ears. Even that seemed to have no effect as he cried out, unable to withstand the high volume for very long. He knelt on the ground and pushed at his ears, shaking his head to and fro. Inside his mind, Inuyasha and Curtis were doing much the same thing.

When the racket finally subsided about a minute later, Phibrizzo's ears were ringing. Shaking his head one more time to clear it, he looked suspiciously around him. "Where'd that noise come from?" he asked angrily. "Where'd---"

Only then did it occur to him that something---or rather, some_one_---was missing.

Behind the cover of some rocks, Crash snuck away stealthily. In one hand was a black metallic sphere, and a modified siren was in the other. _We should've thought of using loud noise sooner!_

A few minutes later, an angry cry scared most of the Pokémon into hiding.

--------

The two of them met up just east of the city, not far from the spot where Phibrizzo had first met Stan and Ollie. "Mission successful?" Flame asked.

Crash had up the black sphere. "Absolutely," he declared, smiling. "Phibrizzo Kaden's Flareon has been captured. Those Dark Balls work wonders."

Flame held up a Dark Ball of her own, indicating that Dolphin's Vaporeon had been successfully caught as well. "Successful, indeed. And here I thought it was a stupid idea to keep these around after the Celebi incident."

"Like we've discussed before, Flame: Eevee evolutions aren't exactly legendary. Now, remember: if they refuse to work for us despite being blackmailed," Crash said, "we'll take opposing targets: the Flareon against Aqua, and the Vaporeon against Kaden. Unless the kid can absorb water, we should have an easy time of it."

"And if that fails?"

"It won't."

"Humor me, Crash."

Crash sighed, annoyed. "Fine. If it fails..."

--------

Having finished her break, Officer Jenny was just about ready to head back out of the police station when a loud, furious voice caught everyone's attention:

_**"Officer!"**_

Phibrizzo stormed into the station, the front door's handle nearly breaking off in his hand. The heavily-ticked look in his eyes didn't bode well. "Phibrizzo?"

"Officer," the kid trainer managed to force between his teeth. "Sunburst was _kidnapped_."

_Doesn't he mean 'stolen'? Unless he..._ Jenny let professionalism take over, remembering how important the Flareon was to him. "Do you suspect anyone?"

"Yes, obviously," Phibrizzo growled. "Those same two losers who attacked the gym earlier. I'm on my way to check things out over there, but I thought I'd let the police know first."

Jenny nodded. "Okay. Do you need a lift to the gym?"

"Appreciate it, but no," Phibrizzo said, shaking his head. "Just keep a lookout for anyone who matches Dolphin's descriptions from earlier. Later!" He hurried on out the door and took off running, his speed much faster than others his age.

Several nearby cops look at Jenny for confirmation, and the officer nodded. "He wouldn't have been so angry if something hadn't happened. I'll signal for any available units to keep a sharp eye out for our two suspects, then I'll search around myself."

"Yes, officer."

-------

Phibrizzo, on a full head of steam, blazed his way to the gym. Ignoring the locked doors on his approach, he teleported directly into the lobby and kept on going. He took no note of the phone that was still hanging loose.

Inuyasha's nose twitched. "The air in here's tickling my nose," he complained. "Someone was here, alright."

"As if I didn't have enough problems breathing," Curtis grumbled. "Inuyasha, can you try to pick up Dolphin's scent?"

Inuyasha stood up, smelling the air and working his way past the noxious odor that still loitered around. "There she is. I think she's in the main area."

"Main area it is, then!" Phibrizzo said aloud, running for the nearest entrance and leaping down several steps.

Dolphin herself wasn't visible at first, so Phibrizzo released some of his initial anger and took his time looking. He spotted his sibling's trademark long hair extending out near a set of stairs on the opposite side of the room; instead of taking the long way around, he stretched out his arm, snagged the nearest railing and flung himself across the room. Despite falling a foot short height-wise, he was able to quickly scramble into the seating area.

Rubbing his head, Phibrizzo ambled over to where Dolphin had fallen face-first; he noted that several long locks of hair shielded her face from view. "Dolphin, get up," he said, tapping her head with his foot.

No answer. Frowning, Phibrizzo was about to resort to additional force when he noticed the cord that bound Dolphin's hands behind her back. _They knocked her out! How'd they do that?_

"You're asking us?" Curtis said, his full attention riveted on the unconscious Dolphin. "We're just as confused as you are."

"I have a pretty good idea how."

Both Phibrizzo and Curtis focused on Inuyasha's voice. "What do you think it was, then?" Curtis asked.

"Well, force didn't work...from what we learned they couldn't even touch her, let alone attack her. But aside from the usual stuff," Inuyasha explained, "there's another big difference between the two of you."

_What's that?_

"You don't need to breathe...but _she_ does."

Phibrizzo saw where Inuyasha was going with this. _So they must've used Sleep Powder or something like that._

"Makes sense," Curtis agreed. "Let's see if we can wake her up."

Nodding, Phibrizzo grabbed the cord and tried to untie it in an attempt to release Dolphin's hands. "Let's get this stupid...thing..._off_...**blast!"** he exclaimed as he pulled on the cord, only to have it snap back into place when it slipped out of his hands. Narrowing his eyes, he let one hand glow hot before trying to burn the cord through. Still nothing. "They fireproofed the stupid thing..." he murmured, staring at it.

"Can I try?" Curtis asked.

"Yeah. Go on ahead," Phibrizzo sighed, shrugging and waiting for Curtis to assume control.

After the two of them Switched around, Curtis examined the knot for a moment and tugged on it thoughtfully. Getting an idea, he attempted to wedge his fingers underneath the cord. When that didn't work, he took out a comb and tried again, this time succeeding. He repeated the process with a pen and an eraser, stretching the cord just a little. "Inuyasha, it's your turn," he said. "I think your claws can safely cut it by now."

------------

_The screaming...the nightmares...revisited...no! Don't make me go back!..._

------------

Nodding, Inuyasha took over long enough to slash the cord with his claws. Phibrizzo retrieved the items Curtis had used and placed them in subspace. "Now to wake up 'Sleeping Ugly'." He bent towards Dolphin's ears---covered as they were by hair---and shouted: _"Wake up!"_

-----------

Dolphin stirred, her consciousness reasserting itself a little. Her vision was mostly dark, but she realized several things: her hair covered her eyes, and her face was pushed against the tiled floor. Weakly she tried to move, but to no avail. _I can't feel my arms...I can't feel anything...what happened to me? Why can't I move?_

-----------

"That stuff must've really done a number on her," Phibrizzo said inaudibly, trying to think of what to do. Idly, he started releasing the bands that held Dolphin's thick ponytails in place. "Let's see...it couldn't have been done that long ago, so..."

-----------

_Little firebrat's messing up my hair! Idiot...leave it alone!_

"You want me to use _ice water_ to wake her up, Curtis?"

Unseen, Dolphin's eyes widened. _Please don't, please don't, please don't..._

"I'm mean, but I'm not _that_ mean."

_Whew._

-----------

"Being mean has nothing to do with it. It's one of the quickest ways to wake someone up, even if it's pretty rude."

"If I'm not on her bad side, I _will_ be by the end of the day," Phibrizzo said, pulling off the hairbands and tossing them away. "Do you think maybe an Awakening would work?"

Inuyasha scoffed. "On a non-Pokémon?"

"Yeah, you're right. Maybe we could make some coffee and hope the aroma wakes her up."

-----------

_Coffee, now? Perish the thought!_

-----------

"What do you think she is, a bear?" Inuyasha growled. "It's not like she's in hibernation."

Phibrizzo didn't give up. "Well, I don't feel like yelling for the next ten minutes. Curtis, you have something we can use, right? We need something _really_ annoying and loud. And before you ask, my Lina Inverse impression doesn't count."

-----------

_If this is about this morning, I'm sorry! Please don't---!_

_-----------_

Curtis smiled as he considered his options. He got up from his chair and switched on the microphone, then worked with a nearby monitor for a few seconds. "I've got you covered."

"What is it? Alarm clock?"

A laugh. "Worse. It's my personal favorite: the mid-1990s car alarm." Curtis tapped a button, and the air was abruptly rent with...with..._one of the worst noises that Phibrizzo had ever heard in his life._ "Guaranteed to wake someone up or your money back."

-----------

_Arrrggghhh! The noise...turn it off turn it off turn it off!...Come on...!_

-----------

Phibrizzo winced from the noise, and waited for some sign of life from Dolphin. Surprisingly, she didn't wake up...at first. Then, ever so slightly, one of her fingers twitched ever so slightly...no more than a fraction of a millimeter, but Inuyasha noticed it and passed the info on. Catching the hint, Curtis shut off the alarm and the microphone.

After another few seconds of waiting, Phibrizzo tired of waiting. Pushing against Dolphin's shoulder, he turned her over...

...and saw her eyes wide open, staring at him pleadingly. Phibrizzo jerked back, realizing that she must've been awake for a while. "...Dolphin, don't do that!"

Dolphin just looked up at him, unable to move.

--------

"What happened? Are you okay?"

_I still can't move...that fog did something to me!_

"I'll take your lack of a response as: 'No, Phibrizzo. I freely admit that I need professional therapy.'"

_The pool, Phibrizzo. Quit being a brat and throw me in the pool!_

Phibrizzo thought for a moment. "You know, you'd look funny with a fake mustache...and maybe a pair of large eyebrows to complete the look."

_I left my marker in the kitchen, thank goodness._

"I've got to get you moving somehow. I didn't see Vaporeon when I came in, so I'm guessing she got kidnapped too."

_Jetsam is...kidnapped!? I should've washed them clear to the police when I had the chance! And what does he mean by "too"?_

Grunting, Phibrizzo hoisted Dolphin by the arms and sat her down in one of the chairs. "You must've received a lot more than just Sleep Powder. You've only twitched once since you woke up. What happened? Long-lasting local anesthetic?"

_Shut up and throw in me the pool!_

"Yeah, Stun Spore would do it too...they must not like her very much," Phibrizzo thought aloud, obviously talking to one of the others. "Let's figure out what to do. Both Sunburst and Vaporeon were caught, but their enhanced moves and abilities aren't that effective without the original trainers. So, they must be trying to blackmail us somehow...but you'd think they'd at least leave some sign of where they went."

_Unless they really are that stupid._

"No. We can't really go anywhere until she can start moving again, as much as I hate to say it."

_The pool! The pool! Throw me in the pool!_

Dolphin's eyes started moving around, focusing on the pool. Phibrizzo noticed this. "If you could swim in your current state, I'd oblige you," he said dryly, "but watching you sink like a stone isn't on my agenda."

"Phibrizzo," Curtis's voice cut in, "I have a vague feeling about this. If _you_ can recover by fire, shouldn't it stand to reason that Dolphin could recover by water?"

_Thank you._

"So you're saying she wants thrown into the pool, right?"

"It could work. The sooner, the better."

"Then let's try it. But first, can I give her the fake mustache and eyebrows? It'll be funny."

_Phibrizzo, you little...!_

"Or, I could just do this..." Phibrizzo held up his hand and started tracing small circles in the air, mere millimeters from Dolphin's nose.

_You're enjoying this, aren't you? I knew I should've stayed in bed this morning._

"Does this bug you?" Phibrizzo asked. "Does this bug you? Why? I'm not touching you."

"You're real mature...Phibrizzo, quit it!"

"Fine, fine...I just wanted to try it for a few seconds. Really..."

Jumping back a few rows, Phibrizzo stretched out and grabbed Dolphin's left hand, which had been hanging limp. Jerking his arm, he hurled her over his head and into the pool.

--------

_Finally. If he's sunk so low as to rely on a human to set him straight...ahh. My gills are fine now._ Dolphin released a held breath into the water and watched the bubbles float upward. Slowly, as her body reflexively absorbed some of the water in her immediate vicinity, feeling returned to the rest of her body. _Having working lungs...that's something I'll never understand. Nonetheless, I'm not taking those things for granted again._

Dolphin flexed her fingers as Team Rocket's concoction was fully smothered by the tide. An eager grin popped into place. "Ladies and gentlemen, it's _showtime!"_ she shouted through the water. Working herself into a spin, she propelled herself out of the pool, scattering droplets in all directions. Her balance restored, she flipped a few times and touched down on the floor near the stands. She stood up, her delight and dignity back in force.

She gave Phibrizzo an odd look, though, when he held up a sign that read "7.4".

A minute later, she and Phibrizzo were hurrying out of the gym. She listened as her sibling explained to her what had happened, and only nodded when he emphasized the importance of getting their Pokémon back.

As they ran towards the city's eastern exit, a police car stopped nearby. The driver motioned them over to the car. "The suspects have been spotted a quarter-mile from the city's eastern boundary. Do you want a lift over there?"

Phibrizzo took one look at Dolphin before telling the cop that they'd rather run, "but thanks anyway."

His sister paid him no note, though, and was more than happy to keep running once they were on the move again; because for once, Dolphin was focused on something worse than her phobia. Ever since that first night in late January, she'd been spending as much time with Jetsam as she did with Misty and Togepi. She understood that water Pokémon treated her like one of their own, but she never expected to become attached to them in return. It was something else that her past centuries of life didn't prepare her for.

Deep inside, she was worried that she'd never see the little Vaporeon again.

And so she kept on running. She ignored the streams of hair that flowed as long as nine feet behind her, not caring that they were unbound. She took no note of how fast they were running, and that people were wondering how they could surpass the speed limit.

She never even noticed the thin ocean-blue aura that surrounded her, or the thick black line around Phibrizzo's body.

----------

_To be continued_


	34. Chapter Nineteen, Part C

WHAT INSERTION?

by Curtis Wildcat

_Chapter Nineteen, Part C --- Darkness and Twilight_

----------

**(Cue theme)**

----------

_Well, they found out. It was bound to happen. You don't just take something from those two without some sort of reprisal, so it looks like the hammer's going to drop._

The moment that Domino had expected from the start had come: Phibrizzo and Dolphin had discovered that their respective partners had been stolen, and were on their way out of the city to get them back. The upcoming battle was not going to be pretty.

There was nothing that she could do to support either side, even if she had been inclined to do so. So, her options limited, Domino decided to settle in. Picking up the nearby phone, she dialed a number.

"Room service? This is room 612. Could you send up some popcorn, please?"

------------

Crash was the first to spot them coming as he peered through his binoculars. "They're coming...and _fast_. I thought that spray was supposed to incapacitate Aqua for the remainder of the day."

Flame snarled. "The concoction's not defective. I've used it on various targets myself. You know that."

"Then they must've figured out how to heal her or something. Whichever." Crash smiled darkly. "It's been a good while since I've had a double battle."

"_They're_ the ones without Pokémon. We're the only ones doubling up, unless they have a spare or something. You could say it's a two-on-zero."

"I'm all for that."

--------

Thirty seconds later, Phibrizzo and Dolphin skidded to a stop. Waving away the dust that gathered due to their arrival method, Dolphin was the first to whip out a sign. 'Return her. _Now._'

Crash turned to her. "You and who else, water-user?" he said mock-curiously.

Frowning, Dolphin raised one hand and was just about set to wash them away---

"Not very smart, you overgrown clown," Flame warned. When Dolphin hesitated, she continued: "If you wash us away, you run the risk of never seeing your Pokémon again."

"Where are they?" Phibrizzo asked, his voice unusually calm. Beside him, Dolphin hesitantly lowered her hand.

Crash and Flame turned to each other. "Well, shall we?" Flame asked.

"Let's shall," Crash agreed. "But first..."

In a whirlwind of action, the two of them tore loose their disguises. In stark contrast to Team Rocket's usual uniforms, theirs was a bright red, almost lavender. Wherever there had been red on the old uniforms, it was replaced with orange. The edges of T.R.'s logo were yellow, making it stand out. Flame's earrings were in the vague shape of a fireball.

Phibrizzo put on his sunglasses. "I'd love to know how those guys do that," he told himself. "What do they do, receive ninja training or something?"

"When you introduce yourselves to an enemy, you do it in style," Crash declared. "And no one has more style than us. We're Crash and Flame, the Fire Masters of Team Rocket. Any questions?"

"Yeah," Phibrizzo said. "Since when does burnt-out charcoal qualify for marriage licenses?"

"Any _serious_ questions?" Flame asked warningly as Crash's fists clenched.

"Well, now that you put it like that..." Phibrizzo tapped his chin, his eyes toward the sky. "I have one. What's your problem with Domino?"

"Problem? _Problem!?_" Crash erupted. "She's a stuck-up Gyarados in high boots. _That's_ the problem!"

---------

_Stuck-up?_ Domino frowned, having read Crash's lips. _What's he going on about?_

---------

Dolphin flipped the sign she was holding around. 'She didn't look like a shapeshifter to me. What are you talking about?'

"She thinks she's better than everyone at everything," Flame snapped, sweatdropping at Dolphin's comment. "She became one of the boss's top agents out of sheer _luck!_ She thinks no one can stop her! She's the first in everything, and doesn't even give us a second glance!"

"And she has the _nerve_ to call me ugly!" Crash shouted, clenching his fists. "That's not true at all! She treats us as if we're scum at the bottom of the barrel! She cares next to nothing for her occupation and lifestyle!"

-----------

_So **that's** why._ _This goes beyond hallucinating...these nuts are just plain delusional!_

There was a knock at the door. "Room service. Popcorn's here!"

-----------

"Tch," Phibrizzo scoffed. "Yeah, right. Have you ever tried _talking_ to her to get things straightened out?"

"_Talk!?_" Flame pounded a fist into her hand. "There's no chance of me talking to that walking snail! I'd sooner kiss a Tentacruel!"

'That can be arranged', Dolphin 'snapped', growing bored with the conversation, 'if you don't return Jetsam to me inside of fifteen minutes.'

It was Crash's turn to scoff. "Like you have a choice. And why fifteen minutes?"

'Because by my estimation,' Dolphin stated, 'that's how long it's going to take to turn you into drowned rats.'

"We'll see who drowns who," Crash said, reaching behind his back and pulling out a black variant of a Poké Ball. "Flareon, attack!"

A burst of light materialized into Flareon...but Phibrizzo and Dolphin could immediately tell that there was something wrong. There was a dim violet glow surrounding the Pokémon, and it gave no sign that it even recognized its trainer. The fire-type immediately charged into a Headbutt, which Dolphin quickly evaded; she likewise avoided the same attack going the other way.

-----------

Domino stared at the screen in wonder, having just retrieved the ordered popcorn. "Hello," she said to herself. "What have we here? Has someone been raiding T.R.'s supply cache again?"

-----------

Before Phibrizzo could get over his surprise, Flame matched Crash's manuever and set loose Dolphin's Vaporeon. The snarling water-type wasted no time in blasting Phibrizzo with an Ice Beam, but the half-mazoku hit the dirt and let it sail over his head.

Phibrizzo pushed himself up as the Beam faded out. _They're being controlled somehow...what's going on!?_

"I have my suspicions," Curtis murmured, "and if I'm right, things are going to get nasty."

"They already are," Inuyasha complained. "If they're fighting _against_ you instead of _for_ you..." He growled. "This is tacky. Just tacky!"

A few times during dull moments, Inuyasha had described what Naraku had been like while he was alive; Phibrizzo figured that Crash and Flame's scheme had brought back bad memories. Wasn't surprising; he'd done a little bit of doublecrossing himself once or twice. "Okay, what's the big deal here?"

"That's for us to know and for you to never find out," Crash chortled. "Flareon, Flamethrower!"

Flareon did as instructed, its attack somehow more intense than it had been earlier. Almost welcoming the blast, Dolphin raised her hand to counter it with one of her own---

"Vaporeon, Ice Beam!"

---and just as the water started to form, Jetsam's attack struck her hand and immediately flash-froze it up to her wrist.

"Uh-oh..." both Inuyasha and Curtis murmured.

"Out of the way!" Phibrizzo shouted.

---------

Dolphin was a bit slow to react to the warning, stunned as she was by having her hand frozen solid. By the time she could think of teleporting, Flareon's Flamethrower had slammed into her. The blast washed over her for a second before she got her act together, and she finally warped a few meters to her right.

...A strange sensation pushed at her senses, and she cringed at its unfamiliarity. _What...what is that...I actually feel like..._

_That hurt! That fire actually hurt me! And here I thought that I... No! I'm not! I am **not** human! I refuse to give in to this!_

_...But why do I feel so thirsty all of a sudden?_

Feeling a brief rush of anger, Dolphin's expression turned serious. _Well, no matter. Being doublecrossed once is bad enough. That's not going to happen again!_

"Hey, are you okay over there?" she heard Phibrizzo ask. Turning his way, Dolphin was about to give an affirmative; externally, she looked unharmed. But in the middle of getting out another sign, she saw Jetsam opening its mouth.

For the hundredth time, she wished she could talk out loud. All she could do, though, was point in Jetsam's direction and hope her brother took the hint.

----------

As Dolphin pointed towards her Vaporeon, Phibrizzo turned that way...just in time to get a faceful of Hydro Pump. After being pushed back a few feet, he was able to brace himself and aim a Gum Gum Pistol at Jetsam's feet, scattering dirt into the air and disrupting the Pokémon's concentration.

Phibrizzo winced a little, trying not to look as bad as he felt. As soon as that Hydro Pump hit him, _something_ happened to him. He felt as if he were being stifled...squashed...

..._extinguished._

Curtis rushed over to one of the monitors lining his chamber, blinking in disbelief at what he saw. "Phibrizzo, that blast's affected you somehow. Your energy just dropped!"

_Wha...!? How? How could being hit with water hurt me when swimming around in it **doesn't**? None of this makes sense!_

"It gets worse," Curtis said worriedly. "Fire against water may seem like a mismatch, but think about what happens when water's overheated by an outside source..."

Phibrizzo drew the conclusion pretty quickly. _It evaporates! That means...that Dolphin's waterpower is going to take a hit!_

"You're not as invincible as you think!" Flame exclaimed mirthfully. "Vaporeon..."

Crash smiled broadly. "Flareon..."

"Subdue them!" Flame shouted.

As one, the duo exclaimed: "_For the glory of Team Rocket!_"

Jetsam and Sunburst, no longer in control of their rightful minds and bodies, began the assault in earnest. Phibrizzo and Dolphin sidestepped their initial attacks, finally forcing themselves to retaliate: the former with a Gum Gum Whip and Pistol combo that narrowly missed, and the latter with a series of V-shaped water blasts that grazed Flareon's fur.

------------

Domino reached into the bucket of popcorn sitting next to her on the bed and pulled out a few pieces, tossing them into her mouth. _The firebrat and the walking shark have their weaknesses, after all. How about that?_

_This'll be a tough one. Betrayal and blackmail I've dealt with before, but this? This takes it to another level. They really make me wonder sometimes...and that's saying nothing for the squeaker and his sister._

-------------

At Team Rocket HQ, Giovanni was watching the same satellite feed on his own monitor. The head honcho was smiling grimly. "Employed in Team Rocket, or left in the dust by his own Pokémon? The choice is his."

---------

Phibrizzo dived to the side in time to avoid Vaporeon's Water Gun, trying to think of some way out of the situation. With the way that Jetsam was pressing the attack, he wasn't given enough time to do so; the Vaporeon charged forward into a Double-Edge, attempting to stun him long enough to nail him. Instead of dodging, Phibrizzo brought himself low to the ground and crossed his arms in front of his face. This nullified the Pokémon's attack, enabling him to swing his arms out and brush the water-type aside...momentarily.

_You guys do me a favor,_ Phibrizzo ordered as Vaporeon stood up without difficulty. _Instead of sitting around, try to figure a way out of this mess!_

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Curtis asked testily. Since the fight started, he'd been trying to remember what he'd seen and read about the Dark Balls that had been used.

_Looking stupid._ Phibrizzo threw another Gum Gum Pistol, but Vaporeon's figure blurred into a Double Team and caused the punch to go wide. _Hurry it up!_

Dolphin's encounter with Flareon wasn't progressing any better. Being careful how she dodged Sunburst's attacks due to her loose hair, it took a fair amount of concentration to keep from slipping. Seizing an opportunity, she threw a few high-pressure water blasts---which she'd earlier dubbed Dolph Shiners---to keep Flareon on the move and to soften up the ground. She toyed with the idea of ambushing Crash and Flame while they were least expecting it, but a barrage of Ember attacks changed her mind.

_If there was some way of pinpointing what's controlling them,_ Dolphin thought as she weaved around the fire bursts, _this would be over in no time. But as it is---whoa! Almost got me there---I'm not getting any breathing room here._

She sighed mentally. _What did I do to deserve this?_

Somewhat removed from the chaos, Crash and Flame were whispering to each other. "They seem to be doing pretty well, what with being forced to fight their own Pokémon and everything," Crash said.

"Let's move on to Phase Two," Flame hissed back. "This is taking too long."

Crash smiled. "Phase Two it is." He reached towards the Poké Ball that contained his Blaziken, releasing it from its confinement. "Blaziken," he told it quietly, "give assistance to Flareon. Use Blaze Kick on the woman, and then any other fire attacks you see fit to use. Don't quit until she surrenders."

Flame followed suit, setting her Ampharos loose on the field. "Help out the Vaporeon, Ampharos. Use Hidden Power against the kid, and nothing else. Repeat until he's ours for the taking."

Both Pokémon charged into the fray.

------

As Vaporeon maintained its Double Team around Phibrizzo, Inuyasha's nose was at work. Sniffing the air and turning every now and again to get a better angle, he was finally able to pinpoint the real target. "Phibrizzo, behind and to your left!"

_Got it!_ Phibrizzo turned in the indicated direction, then flipped and allowed one of his legs to stretch out in mid-air. The heel drop missed by a fraction of an inch, but the dirt it plowed up in its wake disrupted the Double Team and sent Vaporeon flying. Phibrizzo took advantage of this, going into a Gum Gum Gatling Gun immediately after his leg snapped back to normal.

He was too occupied to see the cyan orb flying his way.

------

Getting tired of dodging Embers, Dolphin decided to take the battle to Flareon. Teleporting directly behind Sunburst, she reached down and scooped him high above her head. While the Pokémon tried to reorient itself in mid-air, the pseudo-human raised her left hand and waited until her aim was just perfect. One Dolph Shiner was all it would take, and then she could take down Crash and Flame.

Someone grunted behind her. Dolphin spun around and saw Blaziken flying right towards her, in the middle of a Blaze Kick. Ducking the outstretched kick, she shifted her aim and blasted the Blaziken with her attack instead.

That moment of distraction was enough, though. Finally turning to face the ground, Flareon recommenced its assault with a massive Flamethrower.

------

Broadsided by the abrupt attack, Phibrizzo found himself on his knees after Ampharos's Hidden Power crashed into him. His eyes met those of the electric-type's, who was running towards him and preparing to give him another one. "You too, huh?" Phibrizzo growled, his eyes flashing in the sunlight. "Take a number and get in line!"

Just as he was about to interrupt Ampharos's attack, Jetsam recovered and got back to its feet. Seeing Phibrizzo facing the other way, it seized the opportunity it had been given and let loose another Hydro Pump blast.

------

Domino's eyes widened as she witnessed both attacks impact at the same time. _Oh, now, that was...that was just...I..._ "Oh, come on!" she finally blurted out. "What do you mean, you didn't see that coming? Let them have it, already!"

_You're just...holding back...on their account..._

_They're not weak. They can take it..._

"Come on, you've got to pull through...!" the sidelined agent whispered, her free hand tightening.

------

After what felt like a lifetime to the targets but was actually about ten seconds, the Flamethrower and Hydro Pump finally extinguished.

As expected, Phibrizzo was entirely drenched and sprawled out in a muddy pool. His arms and legs refused to cooperate. He felt as if his internal energy had exhausted itself, leaving him exhausted and helpless. He didn't even have enough power left to fuel a teleportation. He felt mad at everyone, but most of all himself.

_I hate being helpless._

Dolphin wasn't feeling any better. She could tell that she was feeling incredibly empty and dry on the inside, having managed to stave off Flareon's Flamethrower for several seconds before her water-based defenses were finally depleted. When she raised her hand, only a few drops of water fell out. She watched them descend, then followed suit and fell to her knees. She noted, with some irony, that her hair and clothes were in better condition than _she_ was.

_Betrayed once...and then again...why is my life turning this way...?_

------

Unseen and unheard by everything and everyone, Curtis entered Inuyasha's chamber. "Well, I figured out how to stop Crash and Flame," he said, sullen, "for all the good it does us."

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Inuyasha snapped. "Get out there and take them down!"

Curtis blinked. "You're sure?"

Inuyasha's fist tightened. "Absolutely. When I'm in control, I only use Phibrizzo's power if I need to teleport or do some other such thing. Otherwise, it's all my own strength. If it's true for me, then it's true for you!"

Curtis took a second to digest this, then smiled. "In that case, I know how to get over there, too."

Inuyasha smirked. "You bet. It's not just Phibrizzo and Dolphin they're facing, but me and you too. Let's show them that what they're up against is bigger than _they_ are..." He took a look at Curtis. "...No offense, of course."

"No comment at this time," Curtis said, then hurried over to the Switch area while Inuyasha was laughing.

------

"So they're down..." Giovanni said aloud, eyes still watching the viewscreen. "In truth, I didn't expect Crash and Flame to be this underhanded...in any event, the little spitfire has finally been defeated. I expect he'll be expending his energy for Team Rocket..." His voice trailed off. "...soon..."

Phibrizzo was getting up.

------

Domino forgot about the popcorn she was eating as Phibrizzo got to his feet, ignoring his mud-splattered clothes and skin. The readings on one side of the screen showed that his energy level was virtually zero...but he was still getting up!

There was something different about him, though. She couldn't quite put a finger on it...

But whatever it meant, he was up. And that was enough to make her smirk. "Thrash them, firebrat."

------

Crash and Flame both looked on, apprehensive as Phibrizzo worked himself up and yawned, stretching in a more normal fashion. "I don't understand," Flame murmured. "Vaporeon's Hydro Pump should've rendered him unconscious; at the very least, it should've completely drained him!" She called to her Ampharos. "Put him back down. Use Hidden Power!"

------

With what little energy she had left, Dolphin was able to turn her head enough to see Phibrizzo get up, yawn, and stretch... _No. It's that lousy human friend of his,_ she reminded herself, noticing the brown hair and weight gain. _What's happening? Do they operate on different energy reserves, or what?_

She heard Flame yell a command to her Ampharos. As the electric-type began gathering energy again, Dolphin heard Curtis chuckle. "You think you're all that?" he said. "Well, here's mud in your eye!"

Curtis bent down and scooped up some of the mud with his hands, flinging it at Ampharos's face. Ducking and rolling to avoid Vaporeon's Water Gun, he ran past the distracted Pokémon as fast as he could...

...straight for Crash and Flame.

Dolphin laughed inwardly. _He runs fast for a fat guy. What's he up to?_

In her angered state of mind, Vaporeon didn't understand what was going on; it knew only that her target was getting away. With a growl that didn't quite come out the way it was supposed to, it shot another Water Gun and---as it went wide---took off running.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" Crash shouted, his pompous tone loud and clear. "Stay away!"

"Like I need to listen to you after what you just got done putting us through?" Curtis answered, taking Phibrizzo's tennis racquet out of subspace as he ran. He altered his course to take him past Flame, then shouted past his shoulder: "Hey, you! Will you hit a moving target, or are you just plain pathetic?"

The way things were, it was all too easy for Jetsam to take the half-baked insult personally. Crying out angrily, it shot off one more Water Gun. Smiling, Curtis sidestepped to one side and looked on as Vaporeon's attack flew past him...

...and struck Flame instead. When the woman fell over backwards from the pressure, Curtis reached out and snatched the Dark Ball that had been hanging on her uniform. "Hey, Dolphin! _Heads up!_" he shouted, serving the Ball towards her. "Destroy that thing for me, could ya?"

Mustering up some energy, Dolphin reached out and grabbed the Dark Ball as it bounced towards her. As Crash and Flame looked on, horrified, she started pounding on it and even resorted to _biting_ it in her efforts to destroy it.

Crash attempted to run towards her and try to retrieve the Dark Ball, but he ran facefirst into the mesh of a tennis racquet and fell back beside Flame. It wouldn't have mattered, anyway; by the time Crash would've caught up to Dolphin, she had succeeded in damaging the device beyond use.

A confused whine diverted Dolphin's attention towards Jetsam. The Vaporeon was looking around, thoroughly confused. The dark aura around her was gone, as was her viciousness. 'Where am I? What's happening?'

'I'll explain later,' Dolphin said silently, spitting out a piece of metal and tossing the Dark Ball's wreckage aside. 'Just douse me, please.' _So these things are responsible? Only one thing to do!_

Jetsam hurried over and did as instructed, the pressure from the attack somewhat lower than it had been a few minutes ago. In a process that was nothing short of amazing, any visual damage that Dolphin had sustained was removed. Her reserves rapidly replenished themselves, and she could feel her energy flowing through her like a peaceful river. Standing up, she wasted no time in teleporting over to Crash and relieving him of Flareon's Dark Ball.

Angrily, Flame tried to reach past Crash and knock Dolphin off her feet, but---like her husband---her face met Phibrizzo's racquet. "Ever hear of a thing called 'common sense'?" Curtis asked as the woman fell back. "Use it!"

Crash tried to grab Dolphin's arm in an attempt to stop her, but she wanted none of it. Using her restored strength to wrench herself free and push him aside, she punched the Dark Ball as hard as she could, shattering it. Curtis, grinning helplessly at their enemies, rushed back to where he'd been a few minutes prior and Switched places with Phibrizzo.

Ampharos---who had gotten the mud out of its face during the commotion---and Blaziken, both of whom had been confused at the proceedings, weren't sure what to do. When the recovered Flareon blasted Phibrizzo with a sheet of flame, they knew something was going on. But when Vaporeon glared daggers at Ampharos while Flareon snarled something at Blaziken, they decided that their masters had better get their act together and tell them what to do. They quickly retreated to relative safety and waited for further orders.

Crash and Flame stood up, furious at what had transpired. "It looks like the jig is up," Flame said, forcing the expression through her teeth. "They figured out how they were being controlled."

"Then it looks like we'll have to beat them the old-fashioned way," Crash answered, smiling. "Finally, a chance to show what the Fire Masters can do!"

"'Fire Masters', nothing," Phibrizzo spat. "For all your vaunted skills, you're nothing but a couple of deceptive, lying no-shows. Sure, pitting our weaknesses against us was clever, but you messed things up big-time. How? Simple: you know _nothing._ You think you know what there is to know just by checking on our strengths? You neglected to think that just _maybe_ what you're up against is more than just fire and water. Your arrogance, aside from making me mad, has blinded you!"

'You could've just said that from the start instead of ranting,' Dolphin said through a sign.

"Just had to let it out," Phibrizzo confessed, shrugging.

---------

Domino, having seen the whole thing, still couldn't believe it. _How did he get that burst of strength...and how did he figure things out when no one told him anything? I'm starting to wonder if challenging him's a good idea._

_**Now** things are the way they're supposed to be. Brother and sister, both furious and itching to battle a common enemy._ She smirked as she thought this. _Boss, you'd better be watching the show!_

---------

Having gotten his speech out of the way, Phibrizzo thought for several long moments. "Normally, for all the idiotic things they've done, I'd suggest wasting them ourselves...but I think it would be much more fulfilling for Sunburst and Vaporeon to wipe the floor with these guys."

Loudly agreeing with him, the two took a few steps forward.

"Guess we're going with Plan B, after all," Crash said reluctantly. "An old-fashioned double battle."

Dolphin smiled nastily. Flame either didn't get the meaning behind it, or just ignored it. "This brings back memories. The two of us laying waste to our opponents outside Verdanturf..."

"...You're still hung up on that?" Crash asked. "They were pushovers!"

"Just about anyone would be."

"Yeah, I can see why you'd call them pushovers...if you were battling a couple of Magikarps," Phibrizzo cracked, adjusting his sunglasses (the lenses were a little wet, but still wearable). "If beating one of them's enough to give you a bloated ego---"

"Don't you dare mock us!" Crash suddenly yelled, cutting Phibrizzo off in mid-quip. "Whether they're water, rock or dragon, no one has beaten us yet! Blaziken, Blaze Kick on Flareon!"

"Ampharos, slow down Vaporeon with Cotton Spore!" Flame called out.

As the two hurried to execute their commands, Phibrizzo looked once at Dolphin. Receiving a brief nod, the smaller of the two commanded: "Dodge and counter it with Quick Attack!"

Sunburst zipped out of the way of Blaziken's firey attack, then doubled back to knock the fighter-type off-balance. Meanwhile, Vaporeon smacked some of the mud that the earlier entanglement had created into Ampharos's face. While the electric-type was busy trying to clear its vision, Vaporeon calmly walked up to it and blasted it with an Ice Beam. The attack didn't flash-freeze Ampharos, but it was enough to knock it back a good ways.

Crash's gaze hardened. "I see. If that's how it's going to be...Blaziken, Rock Tomb!"

Flame added her own two cents. "Thunder Wave, Ampharos!"

Blaziken's fists flared with power. As soon as it recovered, it jammed them into the ground. As the ground rumbled, several large rocks burst out and trapped the startled Flareon between them. This rendered Sunburst an easy target for Blaziken's Aerial Ace, and freed him from his makeshift prison as well. Still able to fight, Flareon pushed himself up and continued on, returning the favor with another Quick Attack.

Jetsam, recognizing Thunder Wave's danger for what it was, took advantage of Ampharos's split-second lapse and jumped into a quick Double Team. Her opponent's attack safely passed through the three afterimages, but she missed the follow-up Fire Punch that followed. While she resisted the flames, she still took some damage from the punch itself. When Ampharos attempted to add to the damage, Vaporeon forced it back with another Water Gun and gave herself some breathing room.

Said breathing room didn't last long. "Blaziken, Ampharos..." Crash started to say.

Flame took a step nearer to him, and the two of them pointed at their opponents' Pokémon. _"Combination Theta!_"

Flareon attempted to use Ember to force Blaziken back further, but it suddenly blurred and disappeared---its own Quick Attack. Ampharos' tail, meanwhile, glowed and flashed a retina-burning white. As everyone---except Phibrizzo, who was still wearing his sunglasses---shielded their eyes, Blaziken reappeared and started into a Sky Uppercut.

Not disadvantaged by Ampharos' Flash, Phibrizzo knew what to do. "Shadow Ball, right down the middle!"

Trusting Phibrizzo, Flareon kept its eyes closed and commenced the attack. The released sphere slammed into Blaziken, stopping its attack and blasting the surprised fighter-type into Ampharos. The Flash attack dimmed, allowing everyone to see what had just transpired...and Crash and Flame weren't the least bit happy.

---------

"It's been a while since anyone's managed that," Domino mused to herself. "Crash and Flame's combination attacks are typically tough to stop for those who don't know what to look for. That kid's sunglasses saved him from that one." She looked on as Blaziken and Ampharos worked themselves up, not yet defeated. "If I remember right, there are five attacks that they use in order, from weakest to strongest...starting with Theta and working on up to their signature combo, Alpha."

She picked up a few pieces of popcorn and started munching on them. _Phibrizzo and Dolphin's relationship is somewhat complicated. As far as reports indicate, there's been no sign that the two have practiced in battles together. Can they really be expected to cooperate with each other, especially with a sibling rivalry in full swing?_

---------

While Domino was thinking about this, Dolphin's own mind was racing. What their opponents had just done reminded her of what she'd read about the Pokémon Contests. _What we need is to pull a few good combinations of our own...but how does one combine fire and water?..._

_Hold on...maybe we don't need to!_

Dolphin reached out and snapped her fingers, signalling for Phibrizzo. He turned, looking at her curiously...and smiled when her eyes kept flickering towards Flareon. "R-r-right. Gotcha," he drawled, smirking. "Yeah. It's never been tried out, but we got as close as we could before lunch. I think it's worth a try."

"Your strategizing won't help!" Flame shouted. _"Combination Gamma!"_

"Combination _this_," Phibrizzo shot back. "Shadow Ball again!"

'Back him up with Frozen Lake,' Dolphin ordered.

In perfect sync, Blaziken let loose with a Fire Spin while Ampharos gave it some added juice with a Thundershock. Bolts of electricity danced all along Blaziken's flame as it spun towards its targets...

...only to be countered by an equally dangerous Water Gun and Ice Beam combo, courtesy of Jetsam. The same move that scared Domino's Feraligatr out into the open served to block Combination Gamma, giving Sunburst enough time to blast the ground around Blaziken with a Shadow Ball. Startled, the rooster-esque fighter was thrown to the ground.

"Blast it," Flame hissed. "That woman's ability to speak silently to her Pokémon is getting annoying."

"You're sure she's not telepathic?" Crash asked. "You know, like the Saffron gym leader?"

"As much as I don't like Double-Oh-Whine, her report clearly stated that her voice can only be heard clearly when she's underwater," Flame admitted reluctantly. "If she _was_ telepathic, we'd go out of our minds. We're still sane, aren't we?"

Dolphin was sure she saw Phibrizzo's lips turn upwards, but it lasted only an instant. _What's he thinking? If he says anything about my mental state..._

"Then let's just keep hacking away at them," Crash decided. "Your Ampharos's Fire Punch isn't strong enough to do much damage, so we're gonna stick with the combos. Let's move on." Raising his voice, he shouted: "_Combination Delta!"_

Blaziken tilted his head back, gathered all its strength, and shot its Flamethrower into the air. Meanwhile, Ampharos charged forward and entered another Double Team, surrounding both Sunburst and Jetsam. One of the Ampharoses fired a Thundershock at Flareon, who quickly sidestepped it. A followup Shock aimed at Vaporeon was dodged the same way. It went on like this for several seconds.

Phibrizzo turned to Dolphin, curious. "That bird's aim is way off. Why isn't he firing at them? It couldn't just be a distraction...unless..." His voice trailed off as he worked through several different possibilities.

Dolphin regarded the scene silently. The Blaziken had finished shooting off its Flamethrower, and the shot continued to race skyward. Meanwhile, Ampharos was still firing random Thundershocks at either Vaporeon or Flareon. _It does seem somewhat odd...but still..._ Out of curiosity, she faced the sky one more time...

...and paled. Eventually, all things would succomb to gravity's pull, and Blaziken's Flamethrower was no exception. Gravity's force would give it added strength, and would succeed in damaging both Vaporeon and Flareon where the fire attacks failed.

_That thing's falling fast...that settles it. I'm not going to be embarassed by the likes of them; I'm going in!_

As Phibrizzo came to the same conclusion, Dolphin decided to take matters into her own hands; neither of their Pokémon would be able to react in time. Holding her hands above her head, she forced every drop of water she could manage into them. A beach ball-sized sphere formed in her hands, abruptly doubling in size as she finished charging it.

Not sparing any glances for their startled opponents---or for Phibrizzo, for that matter---Dolphin teleported into the Pokémons' midst. Ignoring the Thundershock that nearly jolted her, she braced herself, hoped the hastily prepped water beam would hold...

...and shot it with all her might at the incoming Flamethrower, stopping it ten feet above her head. Steam and fog formed in the air as the two attacks extinguished themselves, reducing visibility to zero. Once the Flamethrower and Dolphin's Aqua Tide were completely cancelled out, Dolphin lowered her arms. _It's **much** better when it's evaporated outside of me, as opposed to inside._

A bit winded but hiding it, Dolphin made a series of noises from within her throat; no one heard her aside from Jetsam, but the sonic noises helped her get a feel for her surroundings. Zeroing in on where the _real_ Ampharos was standing in confusion, she said to Jetsam: 'Turn to where you hear the next noise, and attack.'

After a momentary pause, she finally heard Jetsam's confirmation. Aiming at Ampharos, she shot a few miniature Dolph Shiners at the Pokémon. They didn't do much damage, but the intent was for the electric-type to give away its location...and that it did, emitting a mild grunt of surprise. Right on the heels of that noise, a Water Gun slammed into Ampharos and knocked it to the ground once again.

The wind picked up a little, blowing some of the steam away. Dolphin teleported back to her original place, deciding not to get caught up in the action any further.

Crash glared daggers at the woman, but his wife beat him to the punch. "You _miserable...stinking...cheater!_" Flame shrieked, every bit as indignant as her husband was. "You're not supposed to interfere in a Pokémon battle! That's against the rules!"

"Says the same people who tried to tranquilize my sister," Phibrizzo snarled, having gotten over his surprise. "What do you call that...'fighting in all fairness _before_ the match'? Please; I hear enough of that from back home. You sent in reinforcements when you were battling us earlier, and you have the nerve to call Dolphin a cheater?"

Crash again started to say something, but Phibrizzo's voice overrode his. When he got on a roll, there was no stopping him. "That is _it_, you flame-brained hypocrites," he spat, his voice rising in volume. "You treat Domino like scum, stole my Pokémon and wrecked my schedule, and now you think _you're_ in the right!?"

'What about _me?_' Dolphin asked with a half-lidded look, the sign she was holding almost falling out of her grasp.

Phibrizzo either didn't see it or didn't care. "Let's end this," he told Crash and Flame. "No more stupid combinations, no more stupid accusations, no more stupid cheating. Just throw your strongest attacks at Sunburst, and we'll see whether you deserve your Fire Master title...or if you're just a couple of posers who haven't the slightest idea how to play fair!"

The duo, stinging from Phibrizzo's scathing comments, grimaced and turned to whisper amongst themselves.

Flareon turned to face his trainer, mewling a question. Dolphin didn't understand him, but Jetsam did. The water-type told her: 'He wants to know if the move will work. It had been something they were testing when this whole thing started.'

"It'll work," Phibrizzo said, positive. "Remember Vaporeon's Frozen Lake move? Do your own attack the same way."

A second went by. Determination crossed Flareon's face, the same look Dolphin had seen on Jetsam's face when she was teaching her that principle. It had been a bit difficult; prior to their first meeting, Jetsam was used to simply using the attacks separately. It could be done, though; the result of their week-long labor was proof of that.

"It's decided," Crash's voice called out, and everyone stared at him attentively. "We'll do it." He smiled nastily. "As it happens, Combination Alpha consists of their strongest attacks. So, how about it?"

Phibrizzo's fists clenched. "Do fish have scales? Go for it!"

"Then it's time," Flame growled. "We'll see whether your comments have merit!"

"Yes," Crash simply agreed.

With that said, the two of them yelled: "_Combination Alpha!_"

Ampharos began glowing yellow, gathering energy for a Thunder attack and shooting it a short ways away. At the same time, the flames on Blaziken's arms began flaring wildly as he let loose with Overheat. The two attacks met and combined, far outdoing Combination Gamma in pure power and devestation.

While this was going on, Flareon had formed a Shadow Ball in front of his mouth. Struggling to hold it there, he reached inside himself and triggered his Flamethrower. The black orb became awash in flames as it increased somewhat in size. As the last embers disappeared into the orb, the Shadow Ball's color shifted to a deep violet.

Phibrizzo braced himself, knowing that something big was going to happen. "Let's show them a _real _combo, Sunburst!

_**"Twilight Sphere!"**_

Like an erupting volcano, the transformed Shadow Ball exploded from Flareon's mouth; some dirt and dust was kicked up along the start of its flight path, but then it lifted just a little and placed itself on a collision course with Combination Alpha. Both attacks met in a flash of fire, lightning, and shadow. The entire field was bathed in various shades of purple, red, and yellow as the dual combos fought for supremacy.

Dolphin stood riveted, staring in wonder at the colorful display...then shook her head. Seeing Crash and Flame focused intently on the battle, she knew the time was right to take out their Pokémon. 'Jetsam, you have enough in you for one more attack?'

From where the Vaporeon was sitting a safe distance away from Flareon, the creature voiced an affirmative. Most of it was drowned out by the nearby racket, but it still came through.

'Good. Hydro Pump against Blaziken, please.'

With all its efforts thrown into maintaining the Overheat, there was no way Blaziken could dodge the attack in time. As the fighter-type was forcibly slammed into Crash, Ampharos found its support cut off suddenly as the Overheat was snuffed out. This provided enough leeway for Flareon's Twilight Sphere to win the contest of strength, pushing against Ampharos's Thunder and detonating just a few feet away from its source. With all the damage that the electric sheep had sustained over the course of the match, this was enough to induce fainting...

...and to take Flame out of the picture as well, since she was standing directly in Ampharos's flight path. The surprised agent didn't even have time to yelp as she was flattened under its weight, knocked unconscious by the impact.

At last, all was quiet...until Phibrizzo walked over to a panting Flareon. "See?" he asked, grinning victoriously. "You can do it."

Dolphin took in the sun's position in the sky. _Yep,_ she thought idly. _Fifteen minutes._

-----------

Giovanni suppressed an angry sigh as he switched off the camera feed. He should have expected one of his best teams to be handed a failure at this point in time; outside the occasional loss to 009, the Fire Masters had lived up to their title and had never lost a match. Their arrogance had built up, and now it had cost them a crucial match.

Phibrizzo---and by extension, his older sister---were becoming major pains. Giovanni briefly considered sending out a batch of teams in force, but decided not to. He'd been starting to agree with 009's report; maybe the brat _was_ more trouble than he was worth. He'd wormed past his top agent's tactical nature, Stan and Ollie's reliance on tools, and Crash and Flame's dual-battle strategies and underhanded attacks. It had occurred to him, too, that Phibrizzo might decide to take on Team Rocket on his own; he already knew where the main HQ was, and next time he'd probably do more than just barricade himself in the laundry room.

_We'll need to wait until an opportunity comes up, then make one more try. Perhaps I should wait until after 009 has her requested match with him...and then capture him myself._

He smiled as Persian jumped onto his desk, and he petted it idly as he made his decision. _Yes...that seems prudent to me._

-----------

They'd been defeated. Crash and Flame had actually been _defeated_; and ironically enough, it had been done by a combo.

Domino de-activated the viewscreen and put it away, pondering what she'd just seen. _Now that I remember, Dolphin's Vaporeon had used a similar attack against me: that blending of ice and water that she referred to as "Frozen Lake"...but for Phibrizzo to manage his own blending of fire and darkness? I'm not saying this to anyone else...but that "Twilight Sphere" was just **spectacular**. Short of Hyper Beam, that has be one of the most dangerous attacks out there! I need to watch my step around that kid..._

She frowned, apprehensive. _...Or is he even a kid at all?_

Thinking about it for a few seconds more, she shook her head and laughed. _What does it matter? Crash and Flame are **beat**, thrashed by the very person they mocked. Their requests to have me fired won't hold water now!_

_Now...since it'll be a bit before I'm called back to Headquarters, back to what I was doing yesterday._

Domino propped up a pillow and sat against it, then grabbed the remote and flicked on the TV. Throwing away the empty bag of popcorn, she settled in to watch.

"---_in order to properly paint a landscape, you need to---"_ Click.

"_Channel 47 presents: The Adventures of Gran and---"_ Click.

"---_bull was spotted again in the Seafoam Islands as its battles continue on. For those who have just joined us, a series of conflicts between an old martial artist and a brand-new Pokémon---dubbed 'Taro' by a local professor---have been waged on the beaches of the islands. If any trainers or citizens locate this 'Taro', they are not to battle it but to stay as far away from it as possible; it has been classified as a flying-fighting type and is considered very dangerous if provoked. The warning goes double for any women among you, but for another reason---"_ Click.

"On second thought, I think I'll just take a nap instead."

----------

Compared to earlier events, what followed was uneventful. Dolphin and Jetsam signalled for the police to come by and arrest Crash and Flame; the former seemed to be in shock, while Flame repeatedly whispered: "No...please...no..." under her breath. Neither of them resisted as they were carted off.

Phibrizzo and Dolphin recalled their respective Pokémon and trudged back into the gym after accepting thanks from Officer Jenny and several others. Even if they were mostly recovered physically, they were still a mess from the brief ordeal...

At least, that was the impression Phibrizzo wanted to give. Inside, an idea---sparked by one of their enemy's stray comments---was building upon itself. Thus, when they passed by a gift shop having a '35 percent-off sale' sign hung out front, the two temporarily parted ways: Phibrizzo into the shop, and Dolphin back to the gym.

As soon as Dolphin returned home, she decided to take a quick snooze...and she didn't care where. To her, the tiled foyer worked just as well as any couch. She hadn't dozed off for more than a minute when there was a knock at the door; she was half-tempted to leave it be, but decided it wasn't worth the trouble.

Opening the door, she was greeted with the visage of the same good-natured man that Phibrizzo had spoken with earlier. "Sorry to bother you, but are you Lauren Aqua?"

Dolphin nodded warily. _Who is this man?_

"May I step in for a moment? I have an offer to make."

_He doesn't seem dangerous._ She let him in.

The man got straight to the point. "I won't take up too much time. I have it on good authority that you're an extremely good Pokémon trainer."

'I suppose. Why?' Dolphin asked, making sure he saw the sign.

"My name's Scott, and I'd like to offer a test of your battling skills. Tell me, does the concept of a 'Battle Frontier' sound good to you?"

Dolphin arched an eyebrow. 'Maybe...describe it for me.'

Scott gave her the same description he'd given Phibrizzo earlier. Despite some misgivings, Dolphin eventually agreed on the grounds that he would mail the location of each Frontier facility to the gym, along with directions on how to get there.

-----------

The rest of the day passed by swiftly. After his business at the gift shop was taken care of, Phibrizzo dropped Sunburst at the Pokémon Center. Realizing that Sylvia and Marcus would wonder what he had been up to, he locked himself inside the Gym's laundry room until his clothes were dry and free of dust and dirt; this took the better part of an hour and a half. Dolphin spent that time tracking down her hair bands and her book, then tried to put her hair back into the twin ponytails before deciding that she was too weary from everything that had transpired that day. She then followed suit and left Jetsam behind at the Center as well, retrieving her after dinner.

Speaking of which, dinner was short and simple. Having no desire to try cooking something for herself, Dolphin warped over to a local fast food joint for a grilled cheese sandwich. Phibrizzo raided the refrigerator while she was gone and came up with some leftover stir-fry. Dolphin spent the remainder of the time reading her books, while Phibrizzo sketched something in a drawing pad; what it was, she didn't bother finding out.

-----------

"So you've decided to give that guy's mini-league a try?" Phibrizzo asked out of the blue shortly around 8:25. He put his drawing pad away and looked on as his sister prepared some coffee.

Dolphin nodded. 'Yes. Team Rocket isn't a good measuring stick as far as skill goes...' _Flip_. '...so I'm going to test myself against professionals.'

"Sounds neat," Phibrizzo said, then reminded her of a previous conversation they had a week previously: "Sounds like you have a busy schedule up ahead of you."

'Yes. I hope your cousin doesn't mind me dropping in.'

"Won't be a problem. Neither of us have school that week, and I promised Conan and his friends that I'd start going around with them more often. I can use that week to take advantage of their offer, and Rachel can introduce you to Aunt Eva."

'Good decision.'

Phibrizzo nodded, checking the time on a nearby clock. "Well, it's 8:30. Might as well grab a shower then head home." He stepped into the bathroom and closed the door behind him.

Dolphin sat down at the kitchen table as the shower began running, relishing a cup of coffee. An eventful day, all things considered; and soon, it was going to get a lot more so. She, Jetsam, and a few other water-types of her choice would soon be warping around Kanto in order to test Scott's so-called "Battle Frontier"...and, of course, she'd promised Phibrizzo that she'd go to Beika and have Rachel give her a tour during "Golden Week", whatever that was.

Most importantly, she'd get to meet Phibrizzo's lawyer aunt. Terrific.

She couldn't keep from grinning the next half hour.

At 9:00, Phibrizzo walked out of the bathroom, said good-bye, then walked out the door and teleported home. A bit displeased at his abrupt farewell but deciding it wasn't worth being mad over, Dolphin shrugged. She searched out a towel closet, retrieved several items and strolled into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her...

_Something's not right_, Dolphin thought, surveying the room. It looked okay, but that was as far as it went. Listening carefully, she thought she heard a faint ticking noise...but it slowly stopped, and she convinced herself that she was just hearing things. _Get over this, Deep Sea,_ she told herself. _You're not going to let something like this get you down, are you? Enough of this. There's this thing on the radio I want to hear later, and I won't hear it if I'm paranoid._

Despite her act of bravado, it wouldn't take five minutes before the whole thing collapsed like dust.

And it all started with a clatter of plastic falling against the tiles, and one word: "_Hoedown!_"

---------

"It's been a few minutes," Inuyasha said. "When do you think she's going to realize that Phibrizzo set all those traps in there?"

Curtis looked up at him, surprised. "_That_ was what he was doing with all those cheap toys?"

A smirk. "You should've been paying attention."

"Maybe," Curtis admitted, sighing. "What did Phibrizzo do, anyway?"

Inuyasha looked outside, where Phibrizzo was giving Marcus and Sylvia a brief overview of his day, and just laughed. "What?" Curtis demanded, trying not to smile himself. "What is it?"

"Don't worry about it," replied Inuyasha. "It's not really your style...or mine, for that matter."

"I suppose..."

---------

From where she was resting in the gym's auditorium, Jetsam's ears flicked as she heard Dolphin's desperate scream. _'Phibrizzo, I'm sorry! I shouldn't have tied you down at the Center this morning! Please! Misty, Jetsam, someone...**get these things away from me!'**_

The gym's resident Dewgong swam over and poked its head out of the pool. 'Shouldn't one of us do something?'

Jetsam opened her eyes and shook her head. 'No. Dolphin's brother set up a few things in there. If we went in, we'd be caught in it as well.'

'So, do we just sleep it off?'

'Yes. Either Misty'll clear out the traps when she returns, or the Mistress will get enough sense in her head to teleport. I don't know why she hasn't done that yet.'

'Okay.' Dewgong turned to swim away, then took one more glance at Jetsam and asked: 'What did he put in there, anyway?'

Jetsam looked uncertain...at least, as much as it was possible for a Vaporeon. 'Well, you're familiar with Dolphin's fear of machines...I overheard Phibrizzo muttering something about children's toys and the racket they cause, and something about a teddy bear...but I didn't know what he was going to do with them.'

Dewgong shook its head disbelievingly and swam away.

---------

And so it went. Most of the water-types, happy with Jetsam's safe return and Dolphin's recovery, were able to sleep easily...for the most part. As for Jetsam, she had to fall asleep to the tune of her mistress's anguished cries. It would've been heart-breaking if it hadn't been so ridiculous.

'_Okay! Okay! You win, Phibrizzo! You win! I admit it! I hate and fear machines with all my heart! Don't subject me to this! Just get rid of these blasted things! Come back! I'll be good! I promise! Hel-l-lp...! **Eeeeee-yyyaaahhh!'**_

And somewhere in all that was a quick little bluegrass tune...coming from a teddy bear.

"_Hoedown!"_

-----------

_Chapter Nineteen concluded. Chapter Twenty soon to commence_

Author's Notes

Yeah, I used the television gag again. For some reason, I never get tired of it.

I used this chapter to illustrate several differences in the story between Phibrizzo and Dolphin. Living with two caring parents and with his half-digestive system to consider, Phibrizzo's food choices are usually the healthy kinds; whereas Dolphin is not squeamish about eating foods she knows are unhealthy. Likewise, in comparison to Phibrizzo's chaotic makeup, Dolphin has two complete systems: digestive and respiratory (although she can use gills to breathe underwater, like the fish-men in _One Piece_); this wasn't mentioned, but she has a cartilaginous skeleton as well (like a shark, except much denser). They have contrasting weaknesses: Phibrizzo to high-pressure water, and Dolphin to intensified heat. Lastly, her energy reserves are presently much higher than Phibrizzo's; she can throw water waves around at random while her sibling is forced to waste most of his energy on his major attacks.

Curtis briefly mentioned Nom Anor; for those of you who don't read the _Star Wars_ novels that keep coming out, he's a member of an alien race that thinks technology is immoral.

Crash and Flame are my own creations, just for the record. I came up with Flame for the female since Burn (as in Crash and Burn) makes no sense.

The repairmen in the Pokémon world must be _really_ skilled to repair buildings inside of an hour, huh? Heh, heh.

Yeah, Scott's lurking around. Hellooo, Battle Frontier.

I've never understood why some men go to hockey and football games with their bodies painted their team's colors. Must be something in the water.

Can they have chimichangas in Kanto, Johto, etc.? Well, if the dubbed version can get away with Ash craving a cheeseburger, I'd have to say 'yes' (I thought I actually saw him eating a burger once, but I can't remember where).

There's a reason why Phibrizzo hates Domino's voice. In _Mewtwo Returns_, Domino's English voice (Kerry Williams, I think her name is) sounds so much like Lisa Ortiz (read: Lina Inverse) it's not even funny.

A certain website will say that Domino tipped 40; elsewhere, it'll read 40 _percent_. _That_ is the correct form; forgot that percent signs aren't accepted everywhere.

Phibrizzo gets bored easily. Does it show?

I don't know what people have against those old car alarms. Personally, I liked listening to them. That's just me, I guess.

Sunburst's new attack, the Twilight Sphere, has existed in my mind's eye for quite some time. In the mid-90s I did some original fiction consisting mostly of humanoid cats, dogs, etc. just to keep myself entertained. One of the major villains had this ballistic attack called the Sphere of Twilight; the two attacks are one and the same.

Another real-life inspiration: someone I know used to have this teddy bear dressed like a farmer. Whenever it was squeezed, it would say things like "Hoedown" and "Come on, y'all" while this fast-paced bluegrass tune played. ... Yeah, it's the same bear.

Well, with the conclusion of this chapter, the story's breached the 200,000 word mark. Once again, despite the fact that I don't enforce it, I'm going to ask again: **_Please review_**. Comments and _constructive_ criticism allowed, but flames will customarily be ignored. Have a nice day.

Now, then. On to Chapter Twenty...


	35. Chapter Twenty

**WHAT** INSERTION?

by Curtis Wildcat

_Chapter Twenty --- Clandestine Notions_

--------

**(Cue theme)**

--------

Time: Thursday, April 18, 1996; 4:02p.m.

Location: Local bowling alley

One of several bowling alleys in Beika, King Lanes---thanks in part to its low prices---attracted not only senior bowlers but also a fairly-high percentage of younger clients. A cluster of them were gathered around the third lane, watching a grade-school kid play his game.

At times, Jim Hawking's employer would give him a small bonus and tell him to spend it in any way he wished. Aisha June, to his chagrin, would usually find someplace to spend the money right away. The two of them were sitting at the third lane, but neither of them were acting interested in playing right away; instead, they were watching the aforementioned kid play. Several others---including Rachel and the Junior Detective League in its entirety---were sitting a short ways off.

The kid had scraggly brown hair and was shorter than Jim, but not by much...and had a certain _roundness_ to him. He had a green flannel shirt and blue jeans, and wore a thin pair of glasses that he adjusted each time he released the bowling ball. The fact that he kept getting strikes every few frames wasn't what was wrong; it was how he was managing to get a consistent score at his age. He even managed to heft a 12-pound ball without any difficulty.

After managing a spare and a seven-pin knockdown on the final frame of his current game, he turned---and almost did a double-take. "Um, what's going on here?" the kid asked. "Why's everyone hanging around watching me?"

"The guy at the counter said we could play," Aisha said, "but with that league going on at the other end, these two lanes are the only ones we can use without bothering anyone."

"What she's saying is that we're waiting for you to finish," Mitch clarified.

"We've already paid, too," Jim added. "How long are you going to be?"

The kid blinked. "Oh. Well, I've just finished my third game, so I'm done for now. You can take over."

"Alright. Thanks," Rachel said, shrugging. She smiled. "By the way, my name's Rachel Moore. What's yours?"

The kid started to say something, then covered his mouth as a yawn escaped him. "Excuse me. I'm Curtis," he said, removing his glasses and rubbing a finger against his brown eyes as they began watering. "Nice to meet all of you."

------

After everyone else introduced themselves briefly to him, Rachel and Aisha went to get the lanes set up. As Jim and the Junior Detective League went to choose bowling bowls suited for their size, Curtis sat down at the next lane's table to switch shoes. _Thanks for letting me have control this afternoon, Phibrizzo,_ he said silently.

"Don't get used to it," Phibrizzo warned, for once not looking perturbed about being trapped inside the liquid pillar. "Once you're done here, it's all me from then until dusk. What made you decide you wanted to talk to Conan in person, anyway?"

_Ever since that evening we talked to him about the break-in at Jimmy Kudo's house, I've been thinking about different stuff._ Curtis got off his chair and went to take the bowling shoes back to the counter. _After your fight against Arnold Long, Project: Clandestine DNA jumped to the top of the list._

"What's Conan got to do with it? He wasn't involved with the project," Inuyasha pointed out.

_True._ After giving back the shoes, Curtis went back to his chair and sat down again. _But like Conan's obsession with restoring his age, there are too many mysteries hanging around. Take Aisha June's appearance, for example._

"What about it?"

_She's a humanoid, Inuyasha. She's human for the most part, but she has cat's ears, enhanced senses, and the strength of a tiger. That's not natural, is it? And remember what happened that day when Maria Cliffowski tried to kidnap Aisha's mother and frame the girl for it? She basically implied that Robin wasn't any better than her daughter. That should tell you something._

"So you're guessing that ultimately, Robin June's connected in some way to the Project," Phibrizzo surmised. "...And through her, Miss Aisha."

_Unless there are other freaky genetics experiments going on behind everyone's backs, yes. So, if I get the chance, I'm going to find out where Robin lives and talk to her. If it means trailing Aisha, that's fine with me._

"Why don't you just---"

Phibrizzo was interrupted by a familiar voice. "So, you finally came out?"

Curtis turned to his right, seeing Conan sitting next to him. "Yeah," he said in a low tone, holding out a hand. Conan took hold of it and shook it in greeting. "Glad to talk to you in person."

"Really? How come?"

Curtis looked up briefly as someone across the alley picked up a strike, then returned his focus to Conan. "Well, there were one or two things I wanted to hear your take on."

Conan blinked a few times. "_My_ take? On what?"

Curtis waved a hand around. "Different things. You know, like that Project you've heard Sherry mention before. I don't suppose you've come across anything in the past related to it, have you?"

"No, I haven't. You think that project really took place, huh?"

Curtis glanced at Aisha, who was talking to Rachel over how the lineup was going to go. "Looking at Aisha and thinking of Robin June, I'd have to say 'yes'. And, of course, there's Arnold Long. The shark-man. By the way, was he convicted? I haven't heard."

Conan frowned for a few seconds...then smiled. "He tried to dispose of the evidence before the trial even started. Someone second-guessed him and hid the evidence elsewhere; the newspaper pictures had him looking pretty frustrated later. No one knows who did it, but with everything piling up against him..." He paused long enough to chuckle. "...Since the crimes he committed in America take precedence, I imagine there's a few life sentences waiting for him in the States. Nami Keeler will see to that, I'm sure."

"I imagine so." Curtis checked to see if Rachel and Aisha were finished yet. Seeing that they were almost done setting things up, he said to Conan: "On second thought, I guess I can get your opinions later. Now's not really a good time, I guess."

Amy, George and the others filed back in front of the lanes, having found the bowling balls they wanted to use. "Right," Conan murmured. "When's a good time to talk to you? Provided that Richard doesn't get any cases tonight, we could probably discuss things later."

"Fine with me. See ya." Curtis nodded his head, then headed off towards the restroom.

----------

Once he got inside the empty room, Curtis put his glasses away and returned control to Phibrizzo. The half-mazoku exchanged the flannel and blue jeans for his fireball T-shirt and black jean shorts, and slipped his broken bracelet and wristband back in their usual spots. Fully prepared, he teleported out of the bowling alley and clear into a neighborhood halfway between Beika and Nerima. He looked around to see if anyone noticed his arrival, and---seeing no one suspicious---began strolling freely.

Walking down the street and ignoring the other pedestrians in the area, Phibrizzo allowed his thoughts to wander. _I'm starting to think that we should do something._

"We are," Curtis said. The fat human had settled back into his chair and started channel surfing in order to pass the time. "You're walking around, I'm sitting around, and Inuyasha's laying around. That's something."

_I mean something **big**, idiot. Most of my time is spent walking circles around Tokyo, sampling the various cuisines, visiting various tourist attractions and staring in wonder at technology that would give Dolphin seizures. When we aren't doing that, I'm either doing homework or wasting time by sitting on my bed._

"You could turn another one of your pictures into a shirt design," Inuyasha suggested.

"...You could put on another one of your flute performances for people," Curtis added, settling on a hockey game and setting his remote control aside.

_Sounds like fun, but I'll probably wait until later._ Phibrizzo pulled a pamphlet out of subspace, slowing down just a little as he read it. _Besides, we don't know **what** companies around here handle classical music and the like._

Curtis rotated to look at the P.A. speaker in his chamber, surprised. "...Companies?"

_Yeah. It's nice of 'father' and 'mother' to give me that allowance, but I figure I ought to pay them back somehow. I could submit a demonstration to the company under another name, then record some songs. It won't be anything too major, and I could get them something useful._

"...I have the feeling I'm missing something here," Curtis said dryly as he turned back to the hockey game.

_"Julieennn!_" someone called out.

Phibrizzo froze. "Uh-oh..." He turned and looked every which way, finally locating Azusa Shiratori closing in on him. "I knew things were too good to be true," he groaned, jerking into motion. "How much time does that girl have on her hands!?"

"We hadn't seen her since that one incident," Inuyasha reminded him. "Figured you were due."

"When I said I was missing something, I don't think I was talking about _this_," Curtis said, propping his head on his hand as he watched his game.

_You are **not** helping!_

---------

A block or so away in a secluded parking lot, several men were in a heated discussion. One of them wore a black trench coat and fedora; the other one was skinny, had a pin-striped suit, and otherwise seemed rather nondescript.

"...you can threaten me all you want," the latter said conclusively, his voice the utter picture of calmness. "The fact remains that I'm not going to sell my shares in the company to you. I don't make deals with anyone who tries to corner me on the street like an animal."

The first man smiled darkly. "Then I'll just have to purchase the shares from you post-mortem, then."

Before he could draw his gun, Phibrizzo---with Azusa in hot pursuit---scampered into the parking lot. "Gangway! Gangway!" he shouted, motioning for them to clear out. "Coming through! Coming through!"

Both men turned, although the black-coated man was the one who spoke. "What the---"

The second man, though, noticed a spark of recognition in the boy's eyes as they pointed towards his assailant. In a heartbeat, the child's expression turned serious as he spurred himself to run faster...if that was possible. _He must know who the man works for!_

The child threw himself forward, tackling the skinny man's attacker headfirst. As soon as he was on the ground, Phibrizzo pushed himself to his feet and continued his mad run...

...straight into the office building adjacent to the parking lot.

And from the way the teenage girl followed him in, it didn't look like security was going to be successful in making them leave. Shaking his head, the thin man pulled out a cell phone in order to call the police. As he started to make the call, a lone thought coerced a smile out of him:

_If I had known it would be this easy, I would not have tried to search for him._

--------

The security guard at the desk looked up, then jumped out of his seat as Phibrizzo and Azusa barged on in. "Hey, you two! This isn't a playground!"

"Does it _look_ like I'm playing!?" Phibrizzo spat as he shot past the desk. "This is my _life_ we're talking about! If you want to help me, get her out of here!" He shouted to Azusa: "Life does not revolve around chasing _me_, you psycho klepto!"

"I know!" Azusa shouted back. "It doesn't help that you have 'cute' labelled on your forehead!"

_Blast! I could've picked someone **ordinary** to look like, but noooo..._ Phibrizzo looked up as the security guard joined the chase, but his thoughts didn't stray far. _What's with that crazy girl?_

"I don't know, but you better pick it up before they catch you," Inuyasha said lazily, smirking at the whole procedure.

Azusa dived in an attempt to grab him; the security guard likewise dived after Azusa. Phibrizzo jumped as both attempts missed, then ran off down the hall in hopes of finding an elevator. "If you just stayed away from me," he complained, "none of this wouldn't be happening!"

"I don't get paid enough for this," the guard muttered in kind as the chase continued. "Chasing kids around was not in the job description!"

"There's _always_ going to be something not covered in the manual," Phibrizzo answered, turning a corner. As the others followed suit, he added: "You should've thought of that before you took the job!"

"You are going to be in _so_ much trouble---!"

Phibrizzo grimaced. "Save it for someone who cares! Just get that klepto off my back so I can get going! Errr...why am I dealing with this, anyway!?"

"Because you're there, silly!" was Azusa's answer. "And because I can!"

Somewhere, a quiet _ding_ cut through the noises of the chase. Recognizing an elevator when he heard one, Curtis directed Phibrizzo towards it. The elevator slid open, and its lone occupant stepped out---and hurriedly rushed off as she caught sight of the rampaging trio. Picking up speed, Phibrizzo was able to scamper into the elevator a second before it closed.

A muffled 'thump' signalled Azusa's collision with the doors. Sighing in relief, Phibrizzo pushed a button and slid down to the floor as the elevator rose to the fifth level.

---------

"Um, Mr. Jett, sir..."

The pinstripe-suited man glanced at the security guard, ignoring the sulking Azusa as she stomped off the property. "Yes?"

"The other kid escaped into the elevator. Should I have someone go after him?"

"Don't bother," Mr. Jett said. "In fact, I'd like to meet him myself. Have someone direct him towards my office."

A pause. "Sir?..."

"Get to it."

"Um...okay, sir."

The guard walked into the building as Jett opted to wait outside for the police. Spotting a costumed woman who was idly examining some artwork on the wall, he said: "Excuse me. I don't mean to bother you, but would you mind asking this kid upstairs to meet with Mr. Jett in his office?"

"Yeah, yeah," the woman said, acting bored out of her skull as she shuffled off down the hall.

---------

Location: Unknown

Much like how Jimmy Kudo didn't like leaving a mystery unsolved, Sherry didn't like leaving facts to gather dust.

During the fiasco at Icearc Arena, Phibrizzo's techniques had dented the metal of her beliefs. Dolphin and her water-dog cracked them open shortly thereafter. It took Inuyasha's capture of Driver at Jimmy Kudo's house to splinter them completely, and she no longer tried hiding the notion that she didn't know what to believe.

When Sherry had taken time off to recover from the mild injury she'd been willing to deal with, she started examining some new facts. After mulling over them for several days, she'd decided that---contrary to what he told her---that Phibrizzo and his sister were related in some way to Project: Clandestine DNA. For several weeks, she hadn't known how to check on that; rumors clearly stated that all records were destroyed in the explosion that---most likely---had taken the young prodigy's own life.

Then, just a few days ago, she lit upon a breakthrough. Running a casual search in the organization's database on unclassified chemicals, she came upon an article that hinted that it was possible to alter a person's skin condition by running several specific compounds through an electrical field; said field would then need to be run through a person's body. It was mildly simple stuff in comparison to what Sherry would go on to read; it jump-started her search into the realms of the unnatural. At times she marveled at the audacity of the author, whoever he was.

Today, digging even deeper into the database while everyone else was gone, she had located three large text documents, each over seven hundred kilobytes. Each of them were encrypted and tagged with the label **_Classified_**, and requested three passwords when she tried to open them. Not wanting to go through potentially volatile material when there was a chance that someone was watching her, she instead took a different approach: she e-mailed the files to a seperate account. The documents could be protected against access and deletion, but there wasn't any saving them from being copied and sent.

_The rumors of the Clandestine Project have lasted long enough,_ Sherry decided as she logged off the system. _It's time I found out for myself what they've tried to hide. The science department is supposed to have full access to this material. What's so important that they had to conceal this from us?_

She hadn't made it ten steps outside the science department's lab when something clocked her from behind. Her vision tilted---just enough to see a smirking Gin glaring at her---before she hit the floor.

"Really...you'd think that we _weren't_ monitoring our employees' computer access," Gin said condescendingly to the unconscious figure. "It's classified for a _reason_, you know."

-------

Upon reaching the fifth floor, Phibrizzo snuck out into the hallway. Hearing voices, he slipped through the nearest open door...which, thankfully, turned out to be a storage room for cleaning supplies. As he left the door open a fraction, he noticed that one of the voices seemed to ooze with enthusiasm. Not wanting to be in close proximity to it for very long, he cautiously peeked through the hole in time to see a lock of pink hair vanish around a corner.

Waiting until the voice faded behind a closing door, he sighed in relief. "Might as well go down and apologize to security for making them mad," he told himself, exiting the storage room and stepping over to the elevator. Pressing the "1" button, he stepped back and waited.

The elevator, which had picked up a passenger down on the first floor, finally returned to the fifth floor and opened up. Phibrizzo started to step in, then abruptly halted as someone stepped out.

The woman was decked out almost entirely in purple and black; although her hair and eyes were shielded from view, Phibrizzo was certain they were similar colors. The two of them glared at each others' faces for a minute before Phibrizzo lost his patience. "What are you staring at me for?" he snapped. "Never see a child here before?"

"Would you shut up? I'm not in a talkative mood right now," the woman complained, her voice filled with loathing and dryness. "One of the company's top managers wants to meet you, though. He didn't say why."

"Oh. Where _is_ his office?"

"Upstairs, sixth floor," the woman said, turning her back on him and walking off. "Look for the name 'C. Jett' on the door."

"One more thing," Phibrizzo called after her. "What's with the cheesy costume?"

"Japanese must not be your first language," the woman responded sarcastically as she left him behind. "This building's owned by Zaxon Records. This lousy costume's for a music video that's being shot. Now, would you just _go on,_ squirt"

"I was just asking," Phibrizzo muttered, opening the elevator doors and walking in. "You don't have to get snotty."

"I heard that!" the woman's voice shouted...but by then the doors closed and prevented Phibrizzo from shooting off a snappy reply.

Phibrizzo glared at the ceiling as he told the elevator to go up one floor. _Now you see why I have such a low opinion of the human race,_ he told the others. _They're rude and disrespectful even when no one tells them to._

"Kind of like you?" Inuyasha asked, smiling.

..._I don't like you, Inuyasha._

"So you've said."

"That woman's voice was pretty familiar," Curtis said, looking frustrated. "For some reason, I just can't tell who it was."

The doors opened. Warily, Phibrizzo entered the halls and began his search for C. Jett's office, whoever he was. _Just as well. Whenever we meet someone you recognize, we get dragged on some crazy quest...Conan, Aisha, Richie, and I forget who else; and if you even **say** that agent's name, I'm going to start my Principal Kuno imitation just to drive you mad._

Curtis' voice darkened a tad. "In that case, I'll see your Kuno imitation and raise you one Seyruunian snake."

Phibrizzo shuddered; Inuyasha and Curtis's chambers briefly turned pink. _In the name of sanity, please, **please** don't mention **her** name! Just **thinking** of her is bad enough!_

"Well, if it makes you feel better," Curtis said as Phibrizzo stopped outside of C. Jett's office, "I have an idea for your next T-shirt printing. You could draw a picture of Amelia being chased around a hockey arena by an NHL goalie. That should offset the horror a little."

"Isn't that hypocritical?" Inuyasha pointed out. "I thought you liked Amelia."

"I do, and I believe she gets a bad rap at times. I just think the idea of her being chased around the arena by Patrick Roy is hilarious in itself."

"Roy...Roy..." Inuyasha tapped the ground a few times before realizing: "Hey, wasn't he one of those guys who played against your home team?"

"Got it in one. If the rivalry between the two teams isn't in full swing by this point in time, it will be soon enough."

Phibrizzo folded his arms behind his head and stared up at the ceiling. _I'll think about it. Right now, let's wait for that Jett person to show up._

-----------

It took an extra ten minutes for C. Jett to return to his office. The police apprehended the man that Phibrizzo caught off-guard and questioned his target, who explained that the man was trying to take away some equipment without the company's permission. After he explained all the details, he stated that he had some business to attend to. Finally, the police decided---since he was obviously an extremely busy person---not to occupy his time any further.

Once he came back, he welcomed Phibrizzo into his office and followed him in, closing the door behind him. Gesturing for him to sit down, the man took his seat behind his desk. "It's a pleasure to meet you," the man said. "I'm Claude Jett. May I ask your name?"

A nod. "It's Phibrizzo Kaden. Good to meet you, too. Um...why am I here? I thought I was going to get thrown out after they got that maniac girl away from me."

Claude smiled politely. "That man you ran into outside was threatening me. You actually saved from a very distressing situation; I thank you for that. Is there something you'd like to have? Consider it a token of the company's gratitude for protecting one of their top managers."

Phibrizzo pretending to think about this for a few moments. "Well, this cranky woman told me that this office is owned by...Zaxon Records, I think she said..."

"That's right," Claude confirmed. "We've been in business for three years, and ever since our formation, we've been searching for fresh talent."

"Well, if it's talent you want..." Phibrizzo put on another show of thinking before finishing: "Your company handles classical-style music as well, don't you?"

"Yes, we do," the manager explained. "We have space enough for solo artists, small groups, and even a hall sized for an orchestra." An eyebrow arched. "Are you suggesting that you have talents of your own?"

"As far as musical talents go, I'm a flutist." Phibrizzo folded his arms. "I generally make up my own music, but in the past week or so I've managed to turn one of Brahms' own works into something I could play on the flute. If you need a demo tape, I could have it prepared by tomorrow morning and drop it off before I get to school."

Claude managed to keep the surprise off his face. "No offense, but I find it a little hard to believe that you could be so skilled at your age. And why are you interested in joining with a recording label?"

"Well, this may sound a bit silly..."

"Go ahead."

"Well, it's related to this allowance I've been getting from my foster parents. It's real nice of them to do that, but I can't help but feel that I need to give something back to them. I decided that if I left some of my music behind so that other artists could build something around it, I could pay my parents back with some of the royalties I'd get."

"Hmm..." _This isn't your normal grade-schooler. He's talking as if he really knows what he's saying. I wonder..._ "Pardon me for asking, but may I ask how old you are?"

"I'd rather that remained a mystery," Phibrizzo said, frowning. "If you want to think of me as an eight-year-old, though, go right ahead. So, about that demo tape..."

_Interesting..._ Claude smiled politely. "Very well. You may prepare a demo tape and submit it at your earliest convenience. If we approve, then we will notify you so that we can work things out and arrange a recording session. Is there some way for us to contact you?"

Phibrizzo slipped him a piece of paper with his cell phone number. "Here you go. You can reach me anytime between 3:30 and 9:30pm on weekdays. I go out of town to visit my sister on weekends, so that's really your best time to get a hold of me. In the meantime, you'll have the demo tape by morning."

Claude nodded, reaching out his hand. Phibrizzo accepted it and shook it, answering the man's smile with his own.

----------

Looking out his office window as Phibrizzo left the building and strolled away, Claude maintained his polite smile. His thoughts, though, didn't quite match up with his face. _It couldn't have gotten any easier. Not only have I discovered him without actively searching for him, he deliberately walked on in with his plans mapped out. Now that we have his location pinned down, it's just a matter of seeing his capabilites, where his heart lies and what his connection is to the Project...after all, no matter how much he denies it, it's clear that his abilities originated from **him**._

The smile turned a trifle sinister. _And when that man is found, my ambitions will come full circle._

-----------

_That turned out well,_ Phibrizzo thought as he walked down the street, eyes peeled in case Azusa came back. _Who knows? Maybe I can surprise everyone with this._

"That man's scent was surprising enough," Inuyasha said, sitting casually against the chamber's back wall. "He smelled vaguely like a cat, but at the same time it wasn't like he'd been near them recently...or at all. Weird."

_It's not something threatening, is it? Because if it is---_

Inuyasha smirked. "Not likely. With a face like that, he couldn't even scare that little Amy brat who hangs around Conan and the others. He practically jumped at the chance to allow you to send your music on over."

_Then it's official; I'm going to find a quiet spot somewhere so Curtis can record some flute music. How about it, chubby?_

Curtis didn't say anything. Wondering what was keeping him from talking, Phibrizzo checked his chamber and found that the human was staring straight at nothing. _Hey, Moby, are you listening?_

"..."

Phibrizzo sighed to himself, trying to fight back the urge to insult him further. _Curtis, are you in there?_

Curtis blinked a few times and slumped in his chair, his expression one of pure dread. "Phibrizzo," he said darkly, "there is something about that man I _really_ don't like. Watch your step."

_Don't tell me you recognized him from somewhere...**again**,_ Phibrizzo growled, scowling. _The idea of you recognizing cultural icons from your homeworld still irks me a little._

"I wouldn't call it recognition," Curtis stated, his tone still dark. "I thought I knew that face from somewhere, but like that costumed person you saw earlier, I'm still not putting two and two together. All I'm getting is the feeling that Claude Jett's more dangerous than he appears."

_Curtis---_

Curtis interrupted him. "We'll go ahead with the demo tape and all that...just keep an eye on him in case he tries anything funny. Could you just trust me, here? I've seen kids in school act the same ways towards me, and they wound up changing their tune not long after. Something's up with that man...honestly."

No one said anything for several minutes. Still unsure, Phibrizzo walked about half a mile before saying: _You really don't trust him, do you?_

"No. I don't. Until enough time goes by without him doing anything suspicious, it's going to stay that way."

_Fine, then. I'll be cautious...but if nothing comes of it, I'm going to ignore you for a while._

Curtis shrugged. "Fair deal. I'll get a tape and set things up, then."

Nodding just a little, Phibrizzo decided to find a place to sit down and snack on something. If he was going to find someplace undisturbed enough for him to play his flute, he was going to need the energy.

-----------

Time: 5:45p.m.

As Sherry finally came to, the images in her vision seemed to swirl a little before becoming clearer. Wondering what had happened, the events of earlier slowly came back to her. _I'd sent out the files, started to leave...and then Gin attacked me. Does he know something I don't, or were they just watching us in case we tried anything?_

Looking up, she became aware of a pulsing headache. She tried to raise a hand to her head, but found that she couldn't. Turning her head enough to see why, she saw a glint of metal wrapped around a thin pole...enough for her to deduce that her hands were restrained. Looking around, she tried to identify her surroundings; but other than some thick carpeting, she couldn't tell what anything was. Most of the room was bathed in darkness...

...darkness that suddenly gave way to light as Gin, Vodka, and a third man that Sherry---squinting through the sudden brightness---recognized by his build and facial features: Tequila. Gin conversed quietly with him; the large man nodded, then exited the room.

Once the door was closed, Vodka took a position near the door while Gin took a few steps closer to her. "So, you know why you're being detained yet?"

"I can take a wild guess," Sherry muttered, the headache dwindling slightly. "But what I don't get is why the files are even there in the first place. If you don't want anyone getting a hold of them, why not just delete them?"

"The science department is not permitted to view material of that nature," Gin explained. "When we noticed that you had been viewing the 'skin condition' article, the boss's agents were suspicious. You had not accessed any forbidden materials, though, so we didn't act. But when we received a message that you were trying to load the encrypted files, we decided to take action. As for why the files are still there..."

"Yes?"

"Only the boss and those in the organization's upper echelon are permitted to read that information. We have never bothered asking why, but then again we've never really cared who read what as long as everything went along the way they were.

"In your case, Sherry, the situation is different. Due in part to your...relationships, we've come to understand that you have no special love for your work in the organization. If you were allowed to read such materials, you would lose the reason you had to stick around."

"That doesn't make any sense," Sherry answered coldly. "My focus is on science and genetics. Why would they cause me to try to leave unless they were unscientific?"

"When he said that you would 'lose the reason you had to stick around'," Vodka stated, "he wasn't referring to their contents."

"Well, what _was_ he referring to?"

"He was talking about your sister."

The chill in Sherry's voice left her as the implications hit home. **_"What!? You wouldn't dare!"_** she shouted, her eyes widening.

-------------

The partially-unused office/warehouse was one of the various places where the organization had set up shop in Tokyo, as well as the surrounding area. The first two floors contained an advertising firm that shielded the organization's activities from sight, and also acted as a minor source of income in some cases. The remaining floors---especially the office's basement---were used by various agents to plan activities, and was also home to one of the organization's various science departments.

Although somewhat secluded from the hussle and bussle of everyday life, the neighborhood still attracted pedestrians who didn't know the secrets that the building hid. While the conversation between the various black-coated operatives took place, Phibrizzo was passing through after having completed a ten-minute flute demo.

Neither Phibrizzo nor Curtis heard the disbelieving shout, but---since they were a stone's throw from the building---the noise didn't escape Inuyasha's notice. "Phibrizzo," he growled, his ears twitching.

Phibrizzo stopped walking, catching the warning in Inuyasha's tone. _What?_

"You have two minutes to call your mother and tell her you're going to be a little bit late," Inuyasha snarled as he jumped to his feet. "I'm switching over."

_What's going on!?_ Phibrizzo asked indignantly, grabbing his cell phone out of subspace and running towards a suitable hiding spot.

"Yeah! What's gotten you in such a hurry?" Curtis wanted to know.

"Someone we know's in a bind!" Inuyasha barked. "Now _go!_"

Phibrizzo forced himself to run faster, dialing his home phone. _I'm going, I'm going!_

------------

"Hello?...Oh. Hi, Phibrizzo. Is something wrong?...Someone you know is being threatened? Okay, but hurry back as soon as you're done, understand?...Alright. Take care of yourself. I'll see you shortly."

Sylvia hung up the phone, wondering once again at what Phibrizzo was up to. _For being a miniature monster, he sure isn't shy about helping someone._

------------

"Quiet down, _Sherry_," Gin emphasized warningly. "We don't want anyone up top getting concerned, do we?" He removed a small packet from his coat. "After all, it's not like it will change anything. The materials were classified. End of story. Anyone who disregards this will wind up...shall we say..._indisposed._"

Sherry eyed the packet nervously. "Is that...?"

"Yes." Gin smiled nastily, reaching out of Sherry's line of sight and retrieving a small water bottle. "This is the very pill that you helped develop. It's a fitting end, really; and it won't be long before your sister starts putting the facts together. At that point, she'll meet the same fate."

"_Don't you dare!_" Sherry snarled venomously, realizing as she said it that it wouldn't work.

"Oh, we'll do more than just 'dare'," Vodka added. "Just to drive it home, all departments not used by our ad agency are listening in right now. You're basically going to be an example to everyone else."

There was deep silence for a handful of seconds as Sherry exchanged glares with them, pondering what was going to happen. _This is what I get for trying to satisfy my curiosity? The loss of my life and closest family...why does it have to end like this?_

_Phibrizzo, you little brat. Do you see what you've done?_

At last, Gin shrugged. "Anything you'd like to say to that, Sherry?"

Sherry grimaced. "No. I think I've already made my thoughts clear."

"So be it, then." Gin stepped forward, opening the water bottle and protective packet in sequence. Sherry tried to shrink back, but to no avail...

------------

Having done this before, it didn't take long for Inuyasha and Phibrizzo to exchange personas and attire. With the Tetsusaiga in place, Inuyasha leaped from his hiding place like a canine kangaroo, entered through the closest back door, and took the first staircase down that he could find.

One man---a large man with a hefty build---was blocking the way, but Inuyasha didn't hesitate for an instant. Knocking him aside before he could raise the alarm, he raised one hand, and...

_"Iron Reaver!"_

...slashed the hinges right off the door, then kicked it in.

There were two startled men inside, but Inuyasha completely ignored them as he dived for the quivering bundle on the floor. One of them dropped a water bottle on the floor and reached for his gun, but Inuyasha was too fast. Sweeping the bundle off its feet and slicing through the handcuffs that kept it bound, he bolted for the room's exit and was gone well ahead of the ensuing gunshots.

--------

Vodka gaped at the door. "Was that---"

"Blast it," Gin spat. "It's not enough that he has to bother us at _night_, is it? After him!"

--------

Inuyasha leapt up the stairs five at a time, careful not to unbalance the load he was carrying. Reaching the top of the steps, he ignored the back door and instead continued on up the stairs, stopping only when he reached the top floor. Unseen from prying eyes, he burrowed Phibrizzo's teleportation ability and warped to a safe vantage point: the roof of an office tower in the heart of Tokyo.

By the time Gin and Vodka reached the place where Inuyasha had been, he was long gone. They were upset enough as it was; but when they realized that the other departments had heard what was going on, the two of them almost forgot that they weren't supposed to let anger get the best of them.

---------

Gently setting Sherry down on the roof, Inuyasha took a few seconds to enjoy the breeze that blew on through at this height. "That was too close," he muttered. "Good thing she let off that yell in time."

"Those were the guys Conan was looking for: Gin and Vodka," Curtis said, realizing as he said this that they now knew where one of the organization's offices were. _Completely by accident, too,_ he noted.

"Yeah," Inuyasha answered quietly. "But what's going on? I thought she worked for those guys. Did she get in trouble for doing something she wasn't supposed to?"

Phibrizzo and Curtis didn't say anything, so Inuyasha decided to add something else. _Something weird, though. When I was going up the stairs, I thought for sure that she was gradually becoming lighter._

Curtis looked up. "Huh? Lighter?"

_Yeah. Don't ask me how, but...it was getting lighter...and shrinking, too_.

"Shrinking?" Phibrizzo and Curtis spoke simultaneously.

_Yeah._

Wondering why that was happening, Inuyasha stared down at the quivering bundle and adjusted the collar of the white lab coat it wore...and jumped back as it let out a shuddering gasp. "What---"

"H-help...s-someo-one..." a voice struggled to say before its source suddenly quivered and rolled onto its side, facing Inuyasha with a shellshocked look. "Help..."

Inuyasha's eyes widened as he realized what had happened to the person. Curtis and Phibrizzo both gasped, both out of disbelief and anger...and as one, all three growled: "Oh, you have _got_ to be kidding me!"

Within the last few minutes, Sherry became one of the few who survived the poisonous pill's power...but the dangerous side effects, much like they had done with Jimmy Kudo, had taken their toll...

...and shrunk her down to a younger form.

"Inuyasha?"

_Yeah, Phibrizzo?_

"This bites the dust worse than a terrier with false teeth."

For once, Inuyasha didn't have an angry retort. Instead, he took a few steps away and looked out over the horizon, reminding himself of what he told Invesigator Landon: that he was going to take down the organization, piece by piece.

--------

_I'm...I'm alive...? I'm alive!_

The spasms finally wearing away, Sherry found the strength she needed to sit up. Feeling a gust of wind brush against her and not knowing what to expect, she looked around. _I must've been taken out of there...where am I? Where's Gin and the others? What was that shout I heard?..._

Someone cleared his throat. "Are you coherent?"

Surprised, Sherry turned towards the voice; sure enough, Inuyasha was standing there. "What kind of question is that? Of _course_ I---" she started to say, but cut herself off when she realized how she was talking. _My voice...it sounds like I'm..._

Inuyasha cleared his throat again, regaining her attention. He reached behind him and pulled out a mirror, then knelt near her and held it up to her face.

Caught off-guard by her reflection, Sherry tried to scramble back but only succeeded in tripping. Working herself up, she looked at her hands and at Inuyasha in turn. The vigilante only shrugged and said: "So, who wants to say it?"

Realizing that this is what must have happened to Kudo, Sherry was finally able to work the words out of her mouth. "I've...been shrunk!"

"Well, at least _someone_ said it." Inuyasha put the mirror away and sat down. "You alright?"

As the events of the past few hours re-entered her memory, Sherry couldn't repress a childish snarl. "Am I _alright?_ My associates tried to kill me because I wanted to learn more about the Project, my sister's in danger, and now I'm maturity-challenged! No, I'm _not_ alright!"

"Get a handle on yourself, woman," Inuyasha growled back. "If I hadn't been passing by and heard you shout, you wouldn't even be alive right now. I'd appreciate some gratitude instead of some stupid temper tantrum!"

"...You're right." Sherry took a deep breath. "Sorry. I've got to calm down. Nothing's going to be solved like this..."

"You said your sister was in danger," Inuyasha prodded.

A note of urgency entered her voice. "Yes. Gin told me that he was going to kill her, too. She's does occasional work for them, but otherwise stays free of the group on the condition that I work even harder. She's the closest family I have, and I don't want to lose her!"

Inuyasha smirked. "That shouldn't be a problem. Does Gin have a cell phone number?"

Blink. "Yes...but how's that going to help?"

"You have your own cell phone with you?"

Sherry checked one of the pockets on her lab coat, retrieving it and handing it to Inuyasha. "What are you going to do?"

"Only one way to find out. Sherry, give me Gin's number."

----------

In the middle of berating Tequila and several technicians for the momentary security lapse, Gin's cell phone went off. Irritated, he took it out and flicked it on. "This is Gin..."

"You people _really_ know how to tick me off, do you?"

Gin grimaced. "You..."

"Me. Your point?"

"..."

"Don't have one, huh? Right. So...Sherry cares nothing for your line of work, and neither do I. You're actually planning on offing her sister as compensation, huh? I'm calling to issue a warning: if you so much as _blink_ in her general direction, your organization's going to go through a major 'staff cut', I think the expression is."

"And that means _what?_"

"I know the location of that office," Inuyasha's smug voice explained. "A single phone call will be all it takes to set the police loose; and if they fail, I'll be there to back them up. Is a humiliating defeat enough to get you off her case, or should I start pushing harder?"

Gin glanced sideways at Vodka and Tequila, who nodded and walked off with the technicians in tow. "You know we could just ignore you and go ahead anyway," he said. "You'd be too late to stop us, in that case."

"You could, but you won't," Inuyasha answered. "Like I said to your pal Driver, I'm anything but your average human. I just may have a few surprises in store for the next time we meet." There was the unmistakable sound of a sword being unsheathed. "Like this, for example. Now, I'm only going to tell you once: let Sherry's sister off the hook. Remember: this dog's on guard duty!"

_Click._

Gin looked at the cell phone, switching it off. He knew that Inuyasha would up his words with force; he captured a fair number of agents already, and the black-coated operative suspected that he was the reason why the man at Zaxon Records hadn't reported back.

Vodka re-entered the room. "Everything's all set. Should we go ahead?"

The boss wasn't going to like this. "No. Tell all operatives not involved with the ad agency to pack up their equipment and head to the next location. Also, we're going to leave Sherry's family alone for now."

Vodka seemed taken back by this. "Are you serious? You're really going to let that child vigilante influence you like that?"

"Perhaps _you_ would like fight someone immune to guns and blunt impacts." Gin's cold glare nailed Vodka to the floor. "In spite of the boss's orders, I'm not willing to take a chance and risk that kid's anger. I'm beginning to think that he's much older than he seems."

Vodka thought about this. "You think maybe he's genetically enhanced, and that his youth was a side effect?"

"He claims he wasn't," Gin said. "But until the analyzations of him are finished, that's still up in the air. Now, tell everyone to get moving. I'll take responsibility the next time we speak with the boss."

As Vodka left, Gin folded his arms and stared in the exit's general direction. _I detest not finishing an operation once it's begun, but if he keeps it up at his pace, there may not **be** an operation to finish. That kid's an enigma..._

_...and, if I have anything to say about it, the organization's Number One Enemy._

He smirked. _Everything has a weakness; it's all a matter of finding **his**. And when the time comes, I'll be the one to take advantage of it._

----------

After he hung up the phone and gave it back to Sherry, the scientist-turned-kid looked skeptically at Inuyasha. "You really think it's that easy? They could just ignore you."

"If they're smart, they won't," Inuyasha said. "That's all I have to say. If it makes you feel better, you could have your sister move elsewhere...like, say, Nerima."

"You're crazy," Sherry deadpanned, sweatdropping. "Why would I want my sister to move _there_? She wouldn't last a week over there. The one time I went there, I barely lasted an hour."

"She wouldn't need to worry about fighting or anything," Inuyasha explained. "The Nerima martial artists usually don't fight anyone who can't fight back. A few of them are a bit delusional, but they're kept in check by those that _aren't_. I've heard that the property damage they cause keeps the local construction people in business."

"So, you don't live over there, do you?"

Inuyasha's eyes closed part-way. "No."

"Why not?"

"If I had no power, it might be different. But as it is, I don't like being attacked by delusional kendoists and what not."

Sherry sighed. "Right. I'll pass, thank you. Now that we've settled that, what are we going to do?"

Inuyasha looked at her curiously. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"I _mean_ that I'm probably smaller than _you_ now," Sherry complained. "How are we going to explain this to anyone...especially my sister?"

"Your sister knows what you did for them, right?"

"Yes."

Inuyasha frowned. "Then we tell her the truth."

"_What?_"

"While you're at it, you can get yourself a childhood, too."

Sherry stood up, ignoring the blouse and lab coat that were draped over her like a curtain. "I _am_ a child! Do I look grown-up to you? _Do I?_"

"Be _quiet_ for a second, woman, and let me explain!" Inuyasha growled loudly, jumping to his feet. "You obviously can't stay with me, and there's absolutely no way I'm dropping you someplace unfamiliar. After you tell her the truth, at least you have a few options to follow; otherwise, you've got _nothing!_"

Sherry's eyes narrowed. "What are my options?"

"One, you could stay at wherever your sister lives. It'll be risky knowing that those black-coated men are still around, but at least you're with someone you care about. And two, I could lead you someplace where you could be safe from those men and give you the chance to get yourself some friends."

"You're implying that I've never had any," Sherry warned, folding her arms and trying to look imposing. Since they were staring eye-to-eye, it was rather hard.

"It doesn't need implied," Inuyasha said, his voice softer. "I thought it was obvious from the start."

Sherry stared towards the roof they were on. "...Wherever I go, it doesn't matter. You heard me say that I was curious about the Project earlier?"

"You mean that DNA thing? Yeah."

"Well, I was able to send a few password-protected files to an e-mail account I have, so wherever I live I would need to have computer access."

Inuyasha blinked, looking curious. "And...what's that supposed to mean?"

Sherry almost slapped her forehead in exasparation. "Ergh...never mind. Just get me to my sister's house. I have an explanation to make. Now, is there some number I can reach you at?"

"Hmm..." Inuyasha looked thoughtful for a few moments, then rattled off a number. It was Phibrizzo's, of course, but Sherry didn't know that. "Can you remember that?"

"No problem. Can we go now?"

"Why? You don't like it up here?"

"What do you mean, 'up here?'"

"It's an office tower somewhere in Tokyo's center. Whatever you do, don't look down."

Sherry's forehead fell into her hands as she felt her headache coming back. "I don't want to know. I just don't want to know."

"Well, you're about to find out." Inuyasha held out his hand. "Grab on. We're getting out of here."

"I wondered why it was so windy up here," Sherry grumbled as she grabbed his hand.

One teleportation later, the roof was clear.

----------

Location: Elsewhere

Time: Thirty minutes later

_Ring-ring-ring. Ring-ring-ring._

In a very well-to-do room decorated with baseball posters, technological tidbits and math equations, Wanda Fitzgerald perked up from her laptop and flicked on a nearby speakerphone. "Fitzgerald residence. Little Wanda speaking."

After an instant of hesitation, a young girl's voice filled the air. "Excuse me...but someone told me you'd be able to help me."

Wanda smiled. "Who said that?"

"Inuyasha."

Her smile was gone, replaced by concern. "I don't even know the kid...how'd he know about me helping anyone?"

"He said that he knows someone who knows you...Phibrizzo, he says."

Switching moods quicker than a singer changes his key, Wanda sniggered for several moments. "Figures that _he_ had something to do with it! May I ask who I'm helping, and what it's about?"

Her caller sighed; Wanda wasn't an expert, but she thought she detected a note of defeat. "My name's Shiho Miyano. If I give you my screen name and password, can I trust you to crack open a few password-protected files I sent to my account?"

If Wanda had been drinking anything, she would've done a quick spit-take. She started wondering what in the world was going on, and whether there were more kids out there with troublesome pasts. Hearing about Inuyasha was one thing, and meeting Phibrizzo was another...but counting herself, that made _four_.

Some time later, when Wanda defeated the encryption on the documents, she changed her mind pretty quickly. Upon opening the first document, her mouth fell open in astonishment...and she began cackling madly. _Amazing...it's him! It's really him!_

"If you're done laughing," Shiho's voice interrupted her harshly, "could you put those files on some disks or something and give them to Phibrizzo tomorrow? I think he'll be interested in what they contain. In the meantime, expect me to start attending your school sometime tomorrow."

That cut through Wanda's mood and destroyed it like an overinflated balloon. Her face froze in mid-laugh, then she hung her head and pouted. "Spoilsport."

-------

As it happened, Conan had to tag along with Richard and Rachel when the former was called out on a case that evening. After Phibrizzo explained his whereabouts---leaving out Inuyasha's presence and Sherry's dilemma---to Sylvia and ate dinner with both parents, he went upstairs to begin sketching the picture Curtis had suggested earlier; he needed some rest from the constant teleporting that had been done, anyway. He knew that between delivering the demo tape to Zaxon Records, 'Shiho''s arrival at Teitan Elementary and finding what was in the files she had taken, tomorrow promised to be a busy day.

Meanwhile, another conversation was taking place elsewhere:

"Shiho, are you sure you want to go through with this?"

"I don't have a choice. If I stay with you, I'd risk getting identified. I don't want you to go through any scrapes like the one you almost experienced today."

"...Alright. I'll call this Doctor you heard about and arrange things for you. But if anything happens, you can come back. Okay?"

"Okay. Thank you."

"You're welcome...little sister."

"Agh...You were waiting to say that, weren't you?"

-------

_Chapter Twenty concluded. Chapter Twenty-One soon to commence_

Author's Notes

I don't know why I found this chapter so easy to write; most of it was actually done within the last few days. Anyhow...a lot's going on here, and it's getting to be a bit much to keep track of, huh?

Some time ago I'd planned on basing a chapter on Curtis's first official meeting with Conan, but the opening scenes were about as far as I got before the content started wandering off course. This is what I get for planning ahead.

Azusa's resumed chasing after Phibrizzo again. Once you've been to Nerima, you take a little of the craziness with you everywhere you go; he's found that out the hard way. Heh, heh.

There's another crossover hidden in here, but it won't become evident until much later on. If anyone managed to guess, then Kudos to you (pardon the pun).

The impact of Phibrizzo's arrival is starting to become known. Much like a lot of other stuff in the story, I hadn't planned on Sherry being forced to take her own drug this soon in the timeline. Things are going to be _really_ messed up by the time the story's done, mark my words.

I haven't decided whether I'll stick with Haibara Ai or go with whatever name Funimation chose for her when it comes time for her next appearance. Depends on how things go.

Time for Chapter Twenty-One. And no, there are no playing cards involved.


	36. Chapter Twenty One, Part A

WHAT INSERTION?

by Curtis Wildcat

_Chapter Twenty-One, Part A --- Children, Contests, and Conspiracies_

--------

**(Cue theme)**

--------

Time: Friday, April 19, 1996, mid-morning

Location: Cerulean City Gym

It wasn't quite 10a.m., and already the city was buzzing. The news had come up from Saffron City that the Contest Hall there finished construction a few days ago; a week prior, flyers and posters were distributed to advertise the building's first official contest. The contest would take place on the 21st.

Despite her eagerness, Dolphin didn't let it show.

Misty had finally returned on Sunday afternoon---minus Togepi. Dolphin, who had recovered from Phibrizzo's practical joke, greeted her and asked where it had went; to her surprise, Misty started crying into her shoulder. She later explained the events in Hoenn in detail, including her reunion with her friends, Togepi's evolution to Togetic, and its decision to stay behind and help ward off any other scheming madmen that might show up. Even now, Dolphin still half-expected to see the little egg-like Pokémon somewhere.

It still bugged her, too, that Misty had chosen to confide in her. As far as she was concerned, she didn't want to lose what was left of her pride.

Three days later, Dolphin took Jetsam, a Poliwhirl, and a Slowpoke she'd recently caught with her to the first stop on her Battle Frontier schedule: Noland, head of the Battle Factory. Even if he scared her half to death with a large vehicle, the man was nice enough to let her recover before choosing her opponent. In the 1-on-1 match with Jetsam versus Venusaur, she was able to pull off a victory---although not by much. Scott had been right; those Frontier Brains were _tough_, unlike the garden-variety trainers she usually fought in exhibition matches.

_Looks like I've got work to do._

Since another show was planned for today, Dolphin decided to wait until tomorrow before finding some decent photos of the area where the Battle Dome was located. Using a number provided by Scott, Misty had already called ahead to the staff to let them know of her plans. Since the Dome Ace, Tucker, was a fellow showman, the occasion promised to be big; Dolphin hoped that they wouldn't crowd around her with those mike-phone things.

Phibrizzo's practical joke had been bad enough.

Listening from the stands, Dolphin heard a faint knock at the front door. Since Misty was busy trying to keep her Psyduck out of trouble, she took it upon herself to answer it.

-----------

Time: Sunday morning, 7:50am

Location: Doctor Agasa's laboratory

"Glad you could make it, Phibrizzo," Agasa greeted Phibrizzo as he stepped through the doors and shoved his shoes aside. "I have something you could probably use."

"I'm surprised you called me this early." Phibrizzo shrugged as he followed Agasa deeper into his home. "You got me before I could leave to annoy my sister, though, so I guess it was just good timing on your part. What is it?"

Agasa just smiled and didn't say anything until they reached his lab. Once they entered, the doctor led Phibrizzo to a computer desk and pulled out a small badge. It was painted yellow and teal, with the silhouette of Sherlock Holmes on one side. Judging from the logo, Phibrizzo guessed that more of these were made for Conan and his friends. "Looks nice."

Agasa instructed Phibrizzo to turn the badge over; when he did so, he noticed the dials and the small microphone built into the back. "I kind of get it," he said. "Communications device?"

"Exactly," the good doctor confirmed. "It has a reasonable range, and functions as a two-way radio."

"Keep in mind," a young girl said, lacking the pleased enthusiasm Agasa's voice had, "that unless you're in range of another of those badges, don't expect it to pick up anything..." And the shrunken form of Sherry slowly entered the room, straightening the dark sweatshirt she wore. "...unless you like listening to other people's conversations."

"Ai's right," Agasa continued. "The conversations will be a lot more audible if you're all on the same frequency. That's what the left dial is for. The other one simply switches it on or off. The battery should last a good while, but come to me if you ever need to replace it."

"I'll keep that in mind," Phibrizzo said, smiling from ear to ear as he pocketed the badge. "Thanks, doctor!"

"You're quite welcome," Agasa said. "So you said you're visiting your sister today?"

"Yeah...she's a performer. Deals with water and so forth. Her little friends help her out a lot."

"Little friends..." 'Ai' was suddenly reminded of the so-called 'Vaporeon' that Dolphin had with her over at the Icearc hockey arena. "You're talking about those little monsters, aren't you?"

"Little monsters?" Phibrizzo asked, blinking.

"You know...like that little fish/dog with a forceful hydrant impression."

"Ah, yes...Vaporeon. Yeah, I'm talking about them. She's trained them to perform various stunts; and even though most of them can't speak the way we do, they're smart enough to understand the human voice. There are around twelve to sixteen different types living in that island chain, ranging from quote-unquote 'normal' Pokémon all the way up to..." Phibrizzo shuddered. "...brr...dragons. Dolphin's own specialty is the water-type, and she's so in tune with water to _start_ with that she actually knows what they talk about." He rolled his eyes. "I still think they're insulting me when I'm not around."

Ai rolled her eyes. "I'm not surprised. You know, I'll admit to being curious about those things. If they're so popular, why don't they exist elsewhere in the world?"

"Someone I know guessed something about that," Phibrizzo said. "He said that maybe people outside those islands are more liable to fear stuff they don't understand, or that they're just so rare that no one really bothers to try to find them."

Ai thought about this. "Probably. I know I never saw anything like that in America while I was studying there under the organization."

"I imagine that it's probably an amazing way of life down there," Agasa said, somewhat intrigued. "Phibrizzo, maybe you'd like to take Ai with you so she can see for herself."

Both "kids" gave Agasa startled looks, although Ai was the one who spoke. "You're sure? I still have things I need to take care of _here_...and I'm still not very pleased with my appearance."

"_Ay_-yi-yi," Phibrizzo muttered to himself, emphasizing the "ay". "Hailey, what's the rush? We don't have any of those pills, so it's no use trying to work out a cure. And besides, you're _fine_. What are you running yourself dizzy for?"

Ai grimaced. After she and Agasa had dealt with the paperwork at Teitan Elementary (and dealt with Mrs. Valen's giggling fits) Friday and introduced herself as "Ai Haibara" to her new classmates, Phibrizzo started a new routine by saying "_Ay_-yi-yi" in an exasparated manner. She learned later that he used it whenever she did or said something he wasn't too thrilled with; what she didn't get was why he insisted on calling her "Anita Hailey" instead of her new official name. "You need help, Phibrizzo. And aside from that, I promised Doctor Agasa I'd help him out in any way I could with housework, experiments...you know what I mean."

"Don't worry about it," Agasa said, trying to sound encouraging. "I've been living on my own for years. I can handle another day without any help."

"If you say so," Ai conceded, not sounded very reassured. Facing Phibrizzo, she asked: "Are you alright with this?"

"It's no skin off my back," Phibrizzo said, shrugging. "You'll have to stick around at my sister's home, though. My training sessions with Sunburst tend to get..._explosive_."

"I'll take your word for it."

Phibrizzo smiled. "Now that it's settled, grab my hand and let's go."

Ai hesitated before doing so. "This is that freaky teleportation thing, isn't it?" she asked, not sounding thrilled.

"It's teleportation, but I wouldn't call it freaky." Phibrizzo then said...just before the two of them disappeared in a black flash and a _snap-hiss,_ startling Agasa in the process.

------------

As Ai recovered from the teleportation and was led into the building they'd appeared in front of, she continued wondering if this was even a good idea. Part of her was complaining that there were things back home that needed done, and that the acts of her former associates in the organization justified the payback she thought they deserved. The other part countered those arguments by saying that learning about a previously-unknown branch of wildlife would be a magnificent experience.

True, she was more interested in chemistry and science. Still, it wouldn't hurt to experience life here firsthand. And hadn't Phibrizzo mentioned once that the technology here was several years ahead of the rest of the world? That by itself was enough of an excuse.

Once Phibrizzo retrieved Flareon and the three of them were on their way towards the gym, Ai raised a question. "It seems remarkable that a place like this would even exist. Are the people really so secluded from the outside world that they haven't been drawn into any wars or fighting of any kind?"

"I don't know much about that," Phibrizzo admitted as they walked. "All I know is something I heard in passing. It's been said that they haven't had any major wars or economic depressions for several centuries. There have been a few minor skirmishes here and there, but nothing worth writing home about. A lot of the residents' lives revolve around these creatures, so..."

Ai nodded when Phibrizzo didn't bother continuing. "I guess so...that would mean they either weren't involved in the second world war, or it would take so much effort to convince them to join up that the authorities decided it wasn't worth the effort."

"I wouldn't know much about that." Phibrizzo stared down at his shattered bracelet. "That was before my time."

The rest of the walk to the gym was spent in silence.

------------

Dolphin once again sat in the stands of the gym, sipping from a cup of sugar-filled coffee. On the staging area, the three Pokémon she'd chosen for her Frontier challenge---Vaporeon, Slowpoke, and Poliwhirl---were trying out various stunts and water-based tricks in preparation for the Contest she'd be entering. Well, Vaporeon and Poliwhirl were; Slowpoke seemed more content to watch. Every now and then, the slow-minded Pokémon would stick either its tail or its head into the water; not entirely sure about its means of evolution, Dolphin didn't know what the point of it was.

Just a few days ago, one of the sisters that Misty sometimes talked about---Daisy---had returned home from a world tour. The other two sisters, Lily and Violet, were nowhere to be seen; Dolphin was rather irked when she found out that they'd went out to primp themselves and see what was new instead of visiting their youngest sibling. _When those two come back,_ she promised herself, _they're getting a piece of my mind._

"Lauren?" Misty called from the foyer. "Phibrizzo and a friend of his are here to see you!"

Dolphin stood up and set her coffee aside. 'You three keep on working out there---I haven't decided yet who I'm using for the first round,' she said loudly, making sure the water-types heard her before she went down the steps and ventured into the foyer. Slowpoke would probably ignore her, but she felt better knowing that she'd spoken to them first.

As she exited the main room, Sunburst poked his head inside and strolled on in.

---------

Hearing the commotion, the blonde-haired Daisy entered the foyer a few steps ahead of Dolphin. Immediately, Phibrizzo became the center of attention. "Who's the kid?" she asked. "He looks pretty cute."

"We won't discuss that now," Phibrizzo said, noticing Dolphin appear in the room as well. "I came to see Dolphin and make sure everything was alright before I headed out to continue Sunburst's training."

"You know Lauren?" Daisy tapped her chin for a few seconds before realizing who he was. "I know who you are now! You're the firebrat!"

The temperature in the room rose several degrees. "And where, might I ask, did you hear that from?"

"From Lauren, of course!"

Eyes lit with suppressed violet flames, Phibrizzo marched over to Dolphin, who folded her arms and tried to look innocent. "Dolphin, need I remind you that you're not the one calling the shots here anymore?"

'I don't need to put up with your bratty attitude, brother,' Dolphin responded via a sign. She flipped it around. 'The day of Saffron City's first Pokémon Contest has finally come...' _Flip._ '...so you can take your insults and bottle them up somewhere.'

"There's a little something called 'the golden rule', Dolphin," Phibrizzo growled. "If you don't want to be insulted, don't insult _me_. I was under the impression that the little fiasco last weekend was the end of it."

'Well, you thought wrong.'

Someone cleared their throat. Still standing just inside the doorway was Ai, looking a bit lost as to what was going on. Looking apologetic for ignoring her, Daisy waved at her. "I'm sorry; I didn't see you there. What's your name?"

"Ai Haibara---" Ai started to say...

...and was overriden by Phibrizzo, who seemed to have forgotten why he'd been arguing with Dolphin. "Anita Hailey. She's a new student at my school."

Ai glared at him, disgruntled. "That's not my name, Phibrizzo."

"Get used to it, Hailey," Phibrizzo said, brushing a wayward lock of hair out of his eyes. "If you can get used to attending a grade school like everyone else your age, you can get used to me calling you a third name."

Dolphin arched an eyebrow and held up another sign; Daisy, who was more focused on Ai than on Phibrizzo's sister, unknowingly said the expression aloud. "Third name? What are you talking about?"

"Not important," Phibrizzo stated, waving them off. "What _is_ important is that she doesn't know much about how Pokémon relates to everyone's ways of living. I'd been hoping you and your sisters could fill her in since you're back in town and everything, but I haven't seen Miss Lily and Violet at all."

While Dolphin locked eyes with Ai, trying to figure out if she knew her from somewhere, Daisy told Phibrizzo: "They're still out on the town, trying what's new. Having a big sister, you know how it is. The three of us have been trying to figure out how we can work our way into Lauren and Misty's next show, but the schedule's tighter than a Cloyster's shell."

"Dolphin runs a tight ship," Phibrizzo said. "When she decides to do something, she---"

"Phibrizzo," Ai interrupted, "your sister's staring at me again."

The half-mazoku marched over to Dolphin. "Knock it off, already!" he demanded. "What are you trying to do---put the fear of Deep Sea Dolphin in her?"

Dolphin idly pulled out another sign. 'She looks familiar.'

"That's because she does," Phibrizzo hissed quietly, too low for Daisy to hear. "You remember Sherry, don't you? And you remember what I've told you about Conan, right?"

Dolphin took a second to process this, then slowly nodded. _I see. So that's what happened, huh? Well, if she wants to learn about life here first-hand..._

"This wasn't funny the _first_ time you did it," Ai stated, huffy. "How would you like it if someone just stared at _you?_"

The performer ignored her, although Daisy got the impression that she was listening to her when Dolphin turned towards Daisy. 'Where's Misty?'

"The bathroom, I guess," she said. "Why?"

Dolphin smiled playfully. 'When she gets out, could you tell her that I decided to take a visitor with me to Saffron City this morning? She's a friend of my brother's. Just tell her that.'

Ai's eyes widened just a little. "Now, wait a second. I didn't promise anything!"

Dolphin's sign spun around. 'You want to learn about life here, don't you? You'd be better off watching the Contest...' _Flip._ '...I'll be participating in than reading the literature I've collected.' _Flip_. 'I'm sure they have stuff there you can look at.' _Flip, flip, flip, flip, flip._ 'Besides, it's fun!'

Daisy and Ai boggled at Dolphin's sign-flipping. Phibrizzo just rolled his eyes. "Dolphin, you're enjoying that whole sign thing way too much."

'It's not _my_ fault I can't talk out of water!'

Ai recovered first from Dolphin's antics. _I must be getting used to this...I can't tell if that's a good sign or not._ She sighed and shook her head. "Fine. I'll go with you to this Saffron City place, but I want your word that I'll be back home before evening! I'm already making a concession by coming here to start with!"

Dolphin sighed silently and nodded. 'Alright, alright. You people are no fun.'

"_Flarreee._"

Everyone turned towards the hallway, where Flareon had just made his return to the foyer. "Hey, Sunburst," Phibrizzo greeted. "Where'd you walk off to?"

"_Flarreee...eeon, flare flare-eeeon arrrreeee,_" the fire-type spoke to him.

Phibrizzo's expression froze for a few seconds before giving way to disbelief. "Are you serious?"

Sunburst nodded. His trainer lowered his head. "Fine, fine. No sense arguing with you when you say _that_," he grumbled before walking towards the door, passing Daisy and Ai. Flareon trailed him outside. "See you later, Hailey. I've got things to do."

"That's _Haibara_---!" Ai started to say, but was cut off by the door slamming closed. She shook her head. "Insufferable little..."

'That's Phibrizzo for you,' Dolphin said, the sign she was holding decorated with drawings of minnows. 'Never likes standing still.' She shrugged, than walked away towards the arena. The back of the sign she held read: 'Be ready to go in half an hour, Haibara. Got it?'

"Got it," Ai confirmed, nodding. _Should be an interesting trip, if nothing else. I wonder if I should've taken a notepad with me..._

Daisy laughed to herself for several moments as Dolphin's footsteps faded away. "Now that the craziness is out of the way, you want to take a quick tour of the gym, Haibara? I think you'll like it here."

"Call me Ai," she answered, smiling lightly. "And sure. One thing, though..."

"Yes?"

"You seem like the fashionable type," Ai told Daisy, keeping a straight face. "Can I trouble you to pick out a few things for me? My guardian and Phibrizzo found a few things on short notice, but...well...other than this..." She indicated the black sweatshirt she was wearing. "...they're just not _me._"

"I can tell," Daisy stated, giving her a quick appraisal. She smiled cheerfully. "Sure, it's no problem. Like, I'd be happy to---"

A door slammed close by, making the both of them jump. Dolphin stormed into the foyer, her 'get-out-of-my-way-or-so-help-me-I'll-do-something-really-bad' expression forcing Ai and Daisy back a few steps. The two of them stared at her with wide eyes as she marched into the kitchen, audibly ransacked the cupboards, then ran out of the gym with her purse in tow.

Ai blinked. "What just happened?"

"That girl loves her coffee," Daisy said, sweatdropping.

-------------

Since Phibrizzo didn't have the same limitations imposed on him like most humans did (and because he lacked a cardiovascular system), the distance and speed he could run were limited only by his energy level. Not wanting to waste energy by teleporting, he and Flareon were instead running as fast as they could without wearing themselves out. This was typically how they made their way to their chosen training areas when he didn't feel like teleporting, or didn't have anything to snack on.

This time, Phibrizzo and Sunburst didn't have training on their minds.

When the two of them felt they had enough space between them and Cerulean City's southern exit, the two of them slowed down and came to a stop at the top of a hill. Phibrizzo dropped to the ground, sat back against a tree and stared out over the horizon, as did Flareon. "Well?" he asked him. "What's this about wanting to compete at Saffron's new Contest Hall?"

'I spoke with Jetsam and Poliwhirl,' Sunburst crooned. 'The Contest is this morning at 11:00, if I have the timing right. I was hoping we could enter as well. It sounds like fun.'

Phibrizzo kept focused on the horizon. "You realize that we only have about five weeks before we're supposed to battle against Domino," he said. "Do we really have time to spend worrying about competing in a contest?"

'I never said anything about worrying,' Sunburst reminded him. 'I said it sounded like _fun_.'

"Hmm." Phibrizzo didn't look too enthralled. "That's what it always seems to come to, doesn't it? I don't have the same definition of 'fun', you know."

"You need a break from training and running rings around Team Rocket," Curtis spoke up over the microphone. The round human had a handful of square-shaped cartridges in his hands, and looked quite thoughtful. "The Contest is pretty much an excuse to show off what your Pokémon can do, and to look cool at the same time. It's perfect for Dolphin and Vaporeon."

"Sounds like it would be great for Phibrizzo, too," Inuyasha remarked idly. "You're not going to let your sister get one up on you, are ya?"

"I don't care if she wins or not," Phibrizzo said honestly. "What she does when I'm not bugging her isn't really my concern. All I ask is that she doesn't pick on me behind my back and that she listen to me when I have something to say. Besides, I'm not cut out for those Contests, anyway."

"From what I remember, I think you do require two Pokémon, anyway," Curtis said. "Flareon's all you have. And I think you need a pass of some kind just to enter."

"See?" Phibrizzo responded with a note of triumph. "No pass, only one Pokémon. No can do, gang."

Sunburst whined a little, but dropped the subject. He'd really wanted the chance to compete, even if it didn't involve the Pokémon League in some way. What good was discovering hidden abilities and developing his skills if he wasn't allowed to test them somehow? Unfortunately his trainer was being stubborn again, and this was backed up by certain rules that were already in place. Not much chance of entering...this time, anyway.

For several long minutes, the air was filled with nothing but the sounds of chirping Pidgeys. Phibrizzo sighed quietly, thinking of the last time he just watched life go by without doing anything. _How long has it been, really? I mean---_

Inuyasha abruptly bolted to his feet, startling Phibrizzo before he could go into a sililoquey. "We've got incoming," he snarled, sniffing the air. "Smells a bit like fire and smoke, and it's coming in fast..." He smirked, having a pretty good idea what it was. "Sounds like your plans are about to go up in _flames_, Phibrizzo!"

"Why?" Phibrizzo asked indignantly, seeing Flareon jump up as well. "What's coming?" He got up and jumped back a few meters, hearing some sort of racket in the background.

**_'Found you!'_** someone---or rather, _something_---roared.

The flock of Pidgeys was startled into flight as the trees shook, rattling the leaves and branches. Phibrizzo tensed himself, preparing himself for anything that would occur---

---and then, not expecting the majestic form of an Arcanine to explode from the trees and land no more than a foot away, he fell backwards onto the ground.

----

It had taken a month, but the Arcanine had finally tracked him down.

Several months prior, said Arcanine was freed from the burden of being an experimental animal for Team Rocket. After being brought home and released several miles from the place that the humans called "The Indigo Plateau", it had encountered a group of injured Growlithe trying to protect themselves from an angry pack of Houndour. Perceiving that this was the Growlithe's own territory, the Arcanine immediately laid down the law by scattering the Houndour and forcing them to flee. Even though it hadn't lived amongst its kind since before it evolved, the Growlithe recognized their protector and allowed it to stay.

A month later, the Arcanine received word through the rumor mill that there was a person who could understand how fire-types spoke to each other. A week later, another rumor claimed that the same person had stretchable limbs and was totally immune to fire attacks, even using one of his/her own; the Pokémon was getting a pretty good idea who it was by now. By this time a wandering Ninetales had asked for sanctuary, and the pack had permitted it to stay; giving it the responsibility of looking after the pack, the Arcanine set out to track the person down and see if the rumors were true. Apparently, though, the person was never in the same place twice in a row; any leads quickly turned into dead ends.

Five minutes ago while venturing close to Cerulean City, the Arcanine had picked up the scent of smoke and flames. Attracted to it the same way Flareon had been attracted to it, the fire-dog locked in on it. As Arcanine raced over the grassy plains and through the trees, he happened to glimpse the scent's source. Howling triumphantly and scaring a flock of Pidgeys away, he had decided to surprise him and see what his reaction was.

-----

His face the complete picture of surprise, Phibrizzo looked into the eyes of the Arcanine. The creature drew closer until they were no more than a few inches apart, rumbling something softly...

...to which Phibrizzo finally calmed down some. "No, I wasn't scared," he said. "Surprised, yes...but not scared. Now, what are you doing?"

'So the rumors were true after all,' the Arcanine growled. 'You _can_ understand us! Good.' He sat back on his hind legs, giving Phibrizzo some breathing room...not that he needed it, but it was still thoughtful of him. 'You'll remember me from some time ago. I was the one you set free from those _criminals_.'

"Oh, yeah." Phibrizzo snapped his fingers. "You were wearing this device that made you completely psycho and increased your strength. Couldn't understand you because of that. So, why are you here? Did you come out here just to see if I could talk to fire Pokémon, or were you going to say something else?"

'What do they call you?' the Arcanine rumbled.

"A whole lot of things," Phibrizzo said. "Most of which are derogatory and disrespectful..." _Stay out of this, Inuyasha, Curtis._

"I wasn't going to say anything," Inuyasha grumbled.

"Surrreee," Curtis uttered, thumbing through a few cartridges undecisively.

"...so call me Phibrizzo Kaden, or just 'Phibrizzo'."

Arcanine's face softened, and he lowered his head to face the ground. His growling nearly shifted into a whine as he spoke. 'Phibrizzo, will you allow me the honor of traveling with you?'

"Wha..." Phibrizzo's mouth hung open; a cricket almost jumped in, but was swatted away by Flareon. His jaws slowly closed, and his mouth twisted into a grin. "'The honor of traveling with'---that is just...just...too much! That's the most respectful thing anyone's said to me in months!" he exclaimed.

Suddenly overcome by a fit of giggles, Phibrizzo laid back against the ground he was sitting on and laughed aloud. In his current state, the irony of it all was just too much for him.

Dumbfounded, the Arcanine looked over at Flareon curiously. The smaller Pokémon sighed out a mushroom cloud. 'Don't look at me. I don't know what's going on,' he yipped. 'Ask him.'

Nodding, Arcanine skipped normal speech altogether and just barked as loud as he could. Phibrizzo heard him do this, but the laughing took a few more seconds to wind down. "Sorry about that. It's been a while since I've heard anyone treat me with that much respect," he admitted, standing up. "Sure. If you want to come along, you can."

The Arcanine nodded his head, secretly pleased at the prospect of travelling with someone who understood his kind.

Sunburst reached over with a paw and tugged at the hem of Phibrizzo's jeans. 'Boss...'

"Yeah, what is it?"

'Remember what you were saying earlier about the Contest?' he asked. The smile on the Pokémon's face could almost be called smug.

Phibrizzo's thoughts tried to assemble in working order, attempting to give some sort of excuse. "Yeah, but...okay, _fine_. We'll enter the stupid Contest," he groaned, giving up. "Just remember that I have no plans of entering another one. Is that clear, Sunburst?"

'...You don't?'

"...We'll talk about that another time," Phibrizzo said, sweatdropping. He turned to Arcanine. "I'll need a quick demonstration of all your attacks, and then we'll have to work something fancy out of them. I don't know if you remember, but I can handle most attacks pretty well; so, you can test them out on _me_ if you want. How about it?"

Arcanine voiced his agreement, and Phibrizzo smiled. He backpedalled a short ways to give himself some space. "Good. Let's get to work. Get on the sidelines, Sunburst!"

-------------

Time: 8:45am

Location: Outside the Saffron Contest Hall

There was a small handful of people milling around outside the newly-built Saffron Contest Hall, and they were treated to the sight of Ai and Dolphin phasing into being right on the front steps. Since this _was_ Saffron City, home of a formerly-psycho gym leader, most of them ignored this.

Ai shook her head as she recovered from the teleportation. "This'll take me a while to get used to," she thought aloud.

Dolphin shrugged and smiled, then gestured towards the door as if to say: 'Follow me.' Not having anything else to do, Ai took the hint and followed her as she strolled towards the entrance. _Might as well see what all this is about._

There were a few people sitting in some chairs set up along the nearest wall, but they looked more interested in their newspaper and orange juice more than anything else. Other than those two, there was only an occasional 'trainer' wandering around. Ignoring them, Dolphin arrowed straight for the counter set up at the back and pulled out a sign. 'Excuse me?'

The woman manning the computer looked up, greeting her with a smile. "You're Lauren Aqua, right?" she asked, getting up and holding out a hand. "Nice to meet you. What brings you to Saffron City?"

Dolphin shook the person's hand, not putting much force behind it. She flipped the sign around. 'How does one go about obtaining a Contest Pass?'

"So you're going to enter the opening Contest? Sounds good." The woman pulled out a form and a pen. "Just fill this out, then we'll take a picture and get the Pass made for you. After that, just have it on hand whenever you enter a Contest."

As Dolphin accepted the form, looked it over and started filling it out, Ai happened to glance over her shoulder when one of the doors opened. One of the people sitting down and reading the newspaper had looked up at roughly the same time, seeming rather suspicious. Narrowing her eyes and trying to ignore the bad feeling she was getting, she instead tried her best to be inconspicuous.

She knew there wasn't much she could do, considering her newfound youth. One thing she still had, though, was a calculating mind; not quite detective-esque, but still enough to spot some things out of line. If anything happened, she was going to do something about it; small or not, young or not, she was anything but useless.

-----------

The orange-haired woman looked up from the newspaper she was reading. Someone had walked in, but it wasn't anyone she recognized. Briefly, she noticed a small girl look her way before trying to pretend she hadn't seen anything or anyone. Rolling her eyes behind the huge glasses she wore, the woman continued reading. "That psycho woman's back again," she murmured as an aside.

"Who? Sabrina, or...?" the blue-haired man next to her asked in a low tone. He tapped the glasses that he too wore, making sure they weren't crooked.

"That _other_ psycho woman. The one who practically wasted us without a thought several days ago. I figured that the professor's Luvdisc scheme was too good to be true, and she proved it."

"Well, you heard how he reacted when he learned that Aqua had defeated us." The man straightened his collar before sipping some orange juice. "Now he wants us to devote our efforts to capturing _her_. He seems to think that her attachment to water-type Pokémon can be replicated to attract other types, and possibly even the Legendaries."

"Nala's probably still sore about losing those Lugia over in Johto," the woman grumbled. "That was months ago. I wish he'd just get over it. You don't see _me_ losing my hair over a failure."

The man shrugged. "In any case, we'd better think of something. Do you still have that Contest Pass that the Boss 'acquired'?"

Before the woman could respond, the man's cell phone rang. Not minding the interruption too much, he pulled it out and answered it. "Hello?"

"That's _Nanba_, you idiots!" someone shouted over the phone.

As the line was disconnected, the two of them stared at each other in puzzlement. "I'll never get how he does that," the man said.

"You and me both, Butch. You and me both."

-----------

Even though Dolphin had to think carefully at times when considering what to write---such as 'Age', where she finally just wrote how old her current appearance seemed to be---she finished filling out the form in short order. She turned to Ai and "signed": 'Give me a minute, Haibara. They're going to get that Pass ready for me, and then I'll be right with you.'

Ai nodded, then grabbed a brochure off the counter and walked off towards the rough ring of chairs that were set up. Choosing a strategic spot to sit---not too close to the suspicious-looking strangers, but not too far out either---she opened up the brochure and pretended to read it silently. Across the room, Dolphin was pointed into a nearby office by the staffer she'd been 'talking' to.

While her nose was effectively buried in her reading material, Ai tried listening to the others' whispered conversations.

"Anyway," the man was saying, "you have that Pass the Boss got?"

"Sure do. It's about time they brought Contest Halls into Kanto."

"Your uncle was from Sinnoh, wasn't he?"

"Yeah, and he told me a lot about them. I almost hate to disrupt the Contest for the sake of the mission, but subduing Aqua and carting her off takes priority."

The man nodded. "So remind me again what the plan is, Cassidy. Just so I'm clear."

The woman rolled her eyes. "I'll stick around in the stands during the first round and keep an eye on things. You sneak backstage before the Contest begins and wait for a chance to capture Aqua. We know enough about her---thanks to Crash and Flame---and that for all she can do, she still needs air to live. One good whiff of Stun Spore ought to do it."

Ai frowned, and she directed a glare towards the two conversing strangers. Neither of them caught it, though; the blue-haired man instead responded: "And you've received confirmation that her brother is nowhere in the vicinity, right?"

"The little runt's off training again just south of Cerulean City," 'Cassidy' said confidently. "By the time he finds out what we've done, we'll be long gone."

Ai's eyes narrowed as the two of them nodded. The woman rolled up her newspaper and stood up. "I'm heading outside to scope things out," she uttered. "You get to your 'assignment'. You don't want the manager wondering where his janitor went, do you?"

"No," the man said. "I wouldn't." He drank up the rest of the orange juice and idly tossed the Styrofoam cup into a trash bin, then got up. "See you during the Contest."

The woman chuckled to herself---sporting a sinister smile---before the two of them parted ways. Still pretending to read the brochure, Ai thought about what she'd just heard. _Sounds like even underground crime exists on islands of so-called peace. What's this about wanting to capture Phibrizzo's sister? There's still a lot I don't understand._

Ai folded up the brochure and placed it inside her sweatshirt's pocket, then folded her arms in thought. _I wonder if I can find some way to circumvent this. Tell the person at the desk? Call the police?...No. If the people here are anything like those I've met, they won't believe a small kid without any visual proof._ Shaking her head just a bit, her thoughts turned to the shrunken Jimmy Kudo; during her 'first' day of school on Friday, she'd had her suspicions confirmed as to what had happened to him. _How does Conan manage to go about his life like this?_

_I don't even know why I want to help. I don't even **like** Dolphin. I've donned a cold shell to protect myself from the outside world; it's the way I've been forced to act, and she's made fun of it both times I've met her. What reason could there be to help her out?_

The automatic doors slid open again. Idly flicking her eyes in that direction, Ai took in the details of an impeccably-dressed person. _Hmm..._

The loitering trainers in the lobby looked up as well...

_Sharp eyes..._

...their eyes widened...

_Dark green hair..._

...they took a few hesitant steps backward...

_Red ringmaster's uniform..._

...and innocently shuffled off, whistling nervously.

The young woman glared at everything and everyone. Even the Contest Hall employee looked nervous. "Really," she suddenly declared aloud. "It's been at _least_ two years! Cut me some slack, would you? It's not like I'm diseased!"

Ai stared at the ceiling, exasparated. _If it's not one thing, it's another._

The woman, looking almost comically huffy, stood where she was for a moment. Ai could hear fabric rustling as the woman's gloved hands tightened. Finally, all the tension evaporated as she let out a deep breath and calmed herself down...

...and paced over to the chairs, circling around and taking a seat two spots away from Ai. The mini-scientist looked up at her, smiling. "Come here often?"

The woman looked down at her. "That's not funny."

That elicited a smirk. "Depends on your point of view." The smirk left her. "So, why was everyone leaving the room?"

"Well, a few years ago---wait a second." The woman---more like a high-school girl, by Ai's estimation---locked eyes with her. "Why am I telling you this? I don't even know you."

"Just a matter of curiosity," Ai said. "Compared to someone I know, you don't look very frightening." Unbidden, an image of Gin floated through her head. _Compared to him..._

The woman's eyes narrowed. "You're not from around here, are you? If you were, you'd know it's because of what I can do that scares people, not what I look like."

"Depends. What can you do?"

"'What can I do'?" she asked disbelievingly. "'What can I do'? I've turned people into dolls, thrown them across streets with my mind, and have won Pokémon battles without saying a word. They are scared because I can see their thoughts and render them helpless before me. Where do you get off being so non-chalant? Why?"

"Because," Ai said darkly, "I'm not the picture of perfection myself, either."

"How so?"

"I used to work for a massive underground criminal organization. They don't care much for other peoples' lives, you know."

The woman's eyes widened at the implications. "_What!?_ How? You're not even _half_ my age!"

"If you're all that you say you are," Ai stated, "then take a check and find out."

"I can't do that," she argued, thinking of some of the things that her parents taught her ever since her encounters with a certain young trainer. "That's an invasion of privacy of the worst kind!"

"Then you're just going to have to accept my words as fact." Ai smiled. "Besides, compared to a boy with rubber limbs, a shrunken detective, and a child vigilante who pulls an all-nighter protecting the city, how can telekinesis and telepathy compare?"

The woman's jaw dropped open as she tried to wrap her mind around that statement. "Um...maybe I _should_ check those last ones. Just to make sure. Um...is that okay?"

Ai hesitated briefly, then shrugged. "Sure. I'll let it go this one time. Just don't delve too far."

Seeing the woman's nod, Ai let several memories roll through her head and ignored the dim yellow sheen that her eyes had taken. First off was Phibrizzo, attacking one of Hatter's henchmen with his so-called 'Gum Gum Pistol'. Next up was Jimmy Kudo, alias Conan Edogawa, telling the Junior Detective League (minus Phibrizzo) about something he'd examined yesterday.

Last on the list was Inuyasha; although the memory of her rescue from Gin and Vodka centered primarily on the pain she'd felt when the Apotoxin took effect, she could still recall the vigilante busting down the door and charging in. She could only imagine what their expressions must've been when the criminals had the tables turned on them. Just thinking about it brought a smile to Ai's face.

The woman sighed, her eyes back to normal. "Okay, I believe you now. It's just...even with what _I've_ done, it's really hard to. So, what's your name?"

"Ai Haibara. And you?"

"I'm Sabrina, Saffron City gym leader. Nice to make your acquaintance."

---------

_To be continued_

**Quick Note: I'll be moving out of state pretty soon. I'll resume writing after I'm settled in. More details at the end of the chapter.**


	37. Chapter Twenty One, Part B

WHAT INSERTION?

by Curtis Wildcat

_Chapter Twenty-One, Part B --- Psyche, Psyched, and Psycho_

--------

**(Cue theme)**

--------

Dolphin walked out of the lobby's adjacent office, still shaking her head after her Contest Pass was finally prepared and given to her. That was..._not_ a pleasant experience. At least, not to her. Pocketing the Pass and the Ribbons Case that she'd been given, she shivered for a second as she considered how frightening cameras were up close.

Since there was still time before she was to enter the Coordinators' waiting room, she decided to look around and find something to do. Seeing someone sitting next to her temporary charge, she smiled playfully. After all, while Phibrizzo wasn't above an occasional joke at someone's expense, Dolphin was a past master at it.

Walking silently---while remaining as calm as possible---behind the chairs and past the woman's line of sight, she stooped down until she was roughly eye level with her. Taking on as menacing an expression as she was capable of, she tapped the woman's shoulder.

The person turned to see who wanted her.

_"Yeeeeek!"_

------

A minute or so earlier, Sabrina had just gotten done introducing herself. Inwardly, she was happy that this..._girl_ didn't hold the actions of years past against her. Even after several years, a lot of the residents of Saffron City had trouble believing that she was trying to put her past behind her. She didn't blame them; when word got out that she was somewhat unstable, the League wondered how they could safely replace her.

_And to think that a child trainer and a joking Haunter managed to snap me out of it..._

Even without checking any further into Ai's mind, Sabrina knew that the girl felt ill at ease with her surroundings. She didn't know whether it was because she didn't like to be around crowds of people, or whether she was new in the area. When Ai looked out the windows briefly to see a trainer and his Butterfree go by, the gym leader figured it was the latter reason; the girl had winced involuntarily upon seeing the giant bug.

_It explains why she's not afraid of me, at any rate._

Someone tapped Sabrina's shoulder. Straightening, she turned to see who wanted to talk to her...

...and saw a face straight out of her nightmares. Instinctively, she screeched and nearly fell out of her chair in an attempt to get away, but stopped herself in time as she recognized a face that she'd seen on the news several times: Lauren Aqua, the Water Dancer.

_Hold on a minute...Lauren Aqua? Why'd she...what's she here for? I thought she lived in Cerulean City._

Next to her, Ai rolled her eyes and groaned. "It's bad enough to try and scare _me_, but to frighten someone you don't even know? You don't exactly have a lot of friends, do you, Lauren?"

Lauren let go of the frightening visage, which seemed to dissolve back into the face of a twenty-year-old (roughly). She raised an eyebrow questioningly, holding a sign that read: 'Well, excuse me for making up for lost time.' She flipped the sign around. 'I didn't exactly have a normal childhood.'

Wondering what in the world the woman was thinking by scaring her---never mind making up for lost time---Sabrina decided to take a quick look, promising to break contact when she got the info she needed. Right when Ai would've finished reading the sign, the gym leader heard: **I didn't have a childhood, **_**period**_**. I never---what the!?**

Before Sabrina could question this and probe deeper, Lauren locked eyes with her. The performer's eyes narrowed, and a dim glow gave her skin and face a sea-blue tint. With the fury lurking behind her eyes, Sabrina felt that she had stepped into a Sharpedo cage...without the bars. **I suggest you keep your mind out of my head,** Lauren's mental voice warned. **What goes on in here is none of your business. Nothing in here is fit for a **_**child's**_** viewing, anyway.**

Buckling down, Sabrina gritted her teeth; as Ai looked on curiously, she answered: **What do you mean? All I wanted to know was what you were trying to achieve by scaring me. That look you gave me was entirely unprovoked!**

**I make my own fun,** Lauren declared. **I really don't care if I make any enemies or not. There's nothing anyone can do, anyway; the world's my personal playground, and people are nothing but swings and jungle gyms as far as I'm concerned. Well, except for Misty. I owe her.**

Sabrina ignored Lauren's haughtiness for the moment. **Well, at least tell me what you mean by 'not fit for a child's viewing'. What, did you do something horrible and wind up on **_**Kanto's Most Wanted?**_

Lauren's face lost some of its fury. **Up until a few months ago, I was plagued by nightmares and delusions. I don't have any special fondness for people, but what I saw...I can't think of any way to describe it; that's how bad it is. I continuously wasted energy fighting off threats and images that weren't there. If I allowed you free reign inside my mind, you wouldn't last much longer. Please...just take my word for it. You'll be much better off.**

Sabrina's face also softened. **I see. I'm sorry, then. If it means anything, I'm capable of making my own fun as well.**

Lauren looked at her curiously. **What are you talking about?**

Sabrina saw something floating behind the older woman. Smiling, she said: **For starters, you can turn around for a moment.**

Curiously, Lauren turned around...

_SPLUT!_

...and got nailed in the face with a pie.

Sabrina couldn't help herself, leaning on the chairs as she laughed. Ai, while outwardly calm, was no less amused. Lauren, flabbergasted, didn't react at first; she just stood there as crumbs and cherry filling started dripping onto the floor. Finally, she held up a sign. 'Okay, maybe I deserved that one.'

Apparently, Sabrina's Haunter---who was never too far away, and had snuck up on Lauren when she wasn't looking---thought so as well, joining in with his trainer's laughter.

---------

Time: 10:28a.m.

The attendant at the front desk checked the clock. More people were filling in, aiming to watch the upcoming contest. In a half-hour, the contest would start; and in only a few minutes, it would be too late for any more coordinators to sign up.

Since no one else seemed intent on entering besides the nine that were already listed, the attendant began to finalize the listing on the computer...

"Excuse me?"

Perking up, the attendant had to peek over the edge of the desk to see who had spoken. She was surprised to note that it was a smiling seven-year-old boy with scraggly raven-colored hair. "Is it too late to obtain a Contest Pass?"

---------

As the photo was taken and the Contest Pass prepared---seeing that its recipient's only proof of his status wasn't a Pokédex---Phibrizzo and the others had other things on their minds...or _in_, as the case may be. _Talk about cutting it close._

"I'll say," Curtis agreed. "Another minute and we wouldn't have made it. Do you think we thought up a flashy enough demonstration for the preliminaries?"

_I hope so. The judges here go for what looks the best, so we had to use what we had. I wish we could've seen who our competition was._ Phibrizzo thanked the attendant who'd made the Contest Pass for him, accepted it along with a Ribbons Case, then exited the room and made his way---with help from a posted map---to where the Coordinators' Room was. _So we're supposed to make our Pokémon battles flashy, too?_

"If at all possible," Curtis confirmed. "It impresses the judges, keeps the crowd's attention, and just plain looks cool. You lose points for certain mistakes, such as missing the opponent altogether or taking damage from an attack. Keep an eye on the scoreboard from time to time to see how things are going."

"And if you're going to fight your sister," Inuyasha added, "you shouldn't even bother using fire. That Vaporeon's going to wipe you out."

_Don't worry,_ Phibrizzo said as he turned a corner, passing a telephone. A janitor was working hard waxing the floor, but he paid the man no heed. _I'll think of somethin---_

The telephone rang. The janitor snapped up from the floor---as if he'd been expecting it---and tried to answer it, but Phibrizzo beat him to the punch. Yanking the phone off the hook as the man protested, he considered what to say...and smiled as he realized why the man was so upset at him. It was time for some fun.

Talking into the receiver and slapping one hand over the janitor's mouth, Phibrizzo adjusted his voice and said:

--------

"_Yakov's Bar and Grill. Yakov speaking!"_

Cassidy did a double-take, eyes glancing towards her cell phone in surprise. She'd taken down the number of that particular telephone, and she was sure she hadn't mis-dialed. "Sorry. I was trying to reach a man named 'Butch' at the Saffron Contest Hall."

A moment's pause, then: _"Well, there's a man named 'Curt' here, but I don't think it's who you're looking for."_

Cassidy thought for a few seconds. For some reason, people tended to forget her partner's name; sometimes, she forgot it herself. She didn't think anyone would be so far off track as to give him a name like _that_, though. "I see. Sorry for bothering you, Mr. Yakov," she said apologetically.

_"No problem,"_ the voice said. _"And call me Elvis."_

"Right," Cassidy replied dryly, hanging up the phone. _Elvis, indeed._

---------

Phibrizzo hung up, an amused smile on his lips. _The practical joke has just reached a whole new level._

"The trick is to use it only with suspicious callers," Curtis said. "Otherwise, you're asking for a whole lot of trouble."

"You ever try it yourself?" Inuyasha asked. "You sound as if you'd be good at it."

"I've never actually tried it, no," Curtis told him. "I don't like being grounded, and I think it's a waste of time, anyway. It actually sounds more like something my older brother would do."

Before Phibrizzo could comment on the chances of him being grounded when he was in college, the man behind him was able to push his hand off his mouth. "Little brat," he snapped. "I was expecting an important call!"

"If you can talk on the phone during business hours," Phibrizzo said coldly without turning his head, "then you can work. I don't know what rules janitors follow, but I don't think they allow time to shirk responsibilities."

"How do you know who I was getting the call from?" the man protested. "For all you know, it could've been my boss...even my parents! Miserable kid!"

Phibrizzo slowly turned his head, his yellow-green eyes glittering. "I don't think it was your parents," he said softly. "The voice sounded too young. Anyway, if it had been your boss, I would've told him that I don't want anything to do with him..._Hutch_."

The man growled, his hands tightening. "The name is _Butch! __**Butch!**_ It would _not_ hurt people to try and remember what my name is! Is a little _respect_ too much to ask for!?"

Phibrizzo blinked, a bit surprised at his mistake. Had he misheard the man's name somehow? "So, wait a minute...was that _Cassidy_ I was talking to?"

"Yes, that was---" Butch stepped back, his cleaning duties forgotten as a certain e-mail he'd received returned to his memory. "I recognize you! You're that Kaden kid..." He tried to work his mind around his first name. "Um...Pibrizzo!"

A sweatdrop slid off Phibrizzo's temple, hitting his shoe on the way down. One of his eyes twitched. "And you think _you're_ upset with people who lose track of your name," he complained, annoyed. "For the record, it's _Phibrizzo_. Just so I'm clear, you and Cassidy are with Team Rocket, aren't you?"

Butch folded his arms, glaring down at him. He didn't want anything to do with kids, and under most circumstances he would've made some lying sweet-talk and shuffled off to Viridian. These weren't most circumstances, though. "Yes. What's it to you?"

Phibrizzo nodded. One of his hands went in his pocket, while the other one rested against his hip. "Alright. If you and your partner stay away from me and don't try anything funny---like attempting to capture me for Giovanni---I'll just ignore you." He smiled warningly. "But if your mission _does_ involve my capture, then you don't have a snowball's chance in a volcano of taking me down."

"Relax, kid," Butch grumbled. "We aren't in Saffron because of you. Something else came up and we were asked to look into it."

"And you're sure it doesn't involve me?"

"Positive. Could you go away and let me get back to work?"

"Sure." Phibrizzo withdrew his hand from his pocket and ambled on down the hall. "I have to get to the Coordinators' waiting room, anyway. Say hi to 009 for me when you get back to headquarters."

"Whatever."

----------

Butch went back to waxing the floor, waiting for Cassidy to call again. Sure enough, Cassidy didn't stay shaken for more than a minute or two; this time, no one was close enough to get to the phone before he could pick it up. "Hello?"

"Who---good, it's you," Cassidy said, sounded relieved. "Who was that? I _know_ I got the right number."

"You sure you want me to tell you?" Butch warned. "You won't like it."

"Why? Who was it?"

Butch braced himself. "Phib_rizzo_ Kaden," he said, making sure he pronounced the name correctly.

"_Phibrizzo Kaden!?_" Cassidy shouted over the phone, causing Butch to wince at the volume. "He was training north of here just half an hour ago!"

"...To enter the Contest, apparently."

"What was that?"

"He told me he was heading for the Coordinators' room," Butch explained. "I figure he's going to be in the Contest. You know what this means."

The phone was silent for several seconds. When Cassidy finally answered, it was with a tone implying that she didn't believe what she was saying. "It means we're going to make sure that Phibrizzo doesn't interfere. He's already caused several teams a lot of grief since he began coming to Kanto, and they're all in prison now."

"So, what's the change of plan?"

"We wait until Phibrizzo is occupied with one of his matches---doesn't matter which round---and flood the Coordinators' room with Stun Spore. If you can swipe a few Pokémon in the process, that's good; but our goal is Aqua's capture. We'll need to get in there, grab her, and get her stored away for the trip back to the lab before Kaden returns."

Butch frowned. "That doesn't leave much time for us to act." He took a quick look to make sure no one was close enough to hear him; satisfied, he continued. "At showtime, I'll take the wax job over to the Coordinators' room. You make sure the van is ready to go, then get into the stands and let me know when the kid is busy."

"Right."

--------------

_I am the ocean. My thoughts are like waves...always changing, always shifting._

Sitting calmly with her eyes closed in the Coordinators' room, ignoring the eight or so trainers that had gathered, Dolphin let her thoughts carry her to unknown destinations. It was moments like these---when the oceans wrapped her in a comforting cocoon, when she felt no anger, and when Phibrizzo wasn't anywhere nearby---that she was at her best. She felt as if the Elite Four couldn't faze her. She felt that she had finally overcome her anxieties.

"Hi, Dolphin! What's with that look? Massive caffiene crash?"

She felt as if her nerves were shot. Opening one eye and turning her head in the voice's direction, she silently begged: _Oh please, oh please, oh please, not him not him---_

Phibrizzo was standing next to her, looking cheerful. "Rise and shine, sleepyhead!"

The other eye opened. Expelling a held breath, she reached into her hair and rummaged around before pulling out a sign. 'Don't you have a criminal to prepare for?'

"That's not for five weeks," Phibrizzo reminded her. "Besides, Sunburst and the others were able to change my mind. I'd originally planned on the usual training regimen, but some recent events threw it off course."

'What kind of recent events?'

Before Phibrizzo could answer, someone called out to him. A teenage boy with red hair and green wristbands walked up to him, greeting him amiably. "Hi, Phibrizzo. Didn't expect to see you here."

"I didn't expect to see me here either, but stuff happens. How are you doing, Greg?"

Greg Marron smiled. "Better than I was after I first lost to you, that's for sure. I've done some training with Dugtrio since then, so don't expect me to go easy on you!"

Phibrizzo's cheerful smile expanded a little, if that was possible. "Well, don't hope for a victory _too_ much. You've got yourself some tough opponents here!"

Dolphin stared at them expectantly, waiting for them to come to the right conclusion...

"Yeah, that big guy over there with the Jigglypuff tattoo _does_ seem rather intimidating," Greg said.

...and hung her head in dejection. _They're ignoring me on purpose. I know it!_

"Just messing with you, sis." Phibrizzo chuckled, patting one of her hands in a lame---at least _she_ thought it was lame---attempt to reassure her. "You really should lighten up."

Dolphin's next sign seemed rather indignant, if that was possible. 'Every time I do, you get mad at me.'

"Oh...well, never mind, then. So anyway, Greg, what round were you thinking about using Dugtrio in?..."

As Phibrizzo and Greg continued to converse, Dolphin tried to shut them off and return to her pre-Contest meditations, but found---to her annoyance---that she was unable to. The more she tried to focus, the more questions came to mind. One of them, taking precedence over the others, repeated itself several times:

_How in Kanto did Phibrizzo manage to meet the qualifications for competing in the Contest?_

Since entering the Contest required the use of two Pokémon (to her knowledge), Dolphin was especially concerned. _I would've known if he'd managed to pick up another one, especially with me and Team Rocket prowling around. He would've wanted to use it against one of us earlier, instead of waiting for the Contest. That just leaves this morning...but he couldn't have managed to catch another one---and get it trained---in only a few hours, right?_

She noted that Phibrizzo and Greg had wandered off away from her while she thinking. Her eyes closed halfway. _I have the feeling I just asked a very stupid question._

----

Time: 11:00a.m.

Location: Contest Hall auditorium

"Good morning, good morning!" the announcer's enthusiastic voice blared throughout the auditorium. "Welcome to Saffron City for its opening Pokémon Contest! I'm your host, Lillian Meridian! It's eleven o'clock sharp, and you all know what _that_ means..."

As the capacity crowd cheered in response, Ai and Sabrina opted to stand at a railing that bordered the top of the seating area. This way, they could remain as inconspicuous as possible...each for their own reasons. As several people had proved earlier, Sabrina still wasn't wholly trusted by the majority; she didn't want to cause a stir by sitting amongst the crowd.

Meanwhile, Ai was keeping her eye on someone in the stands. The woman who'd called herself "Cassidy" was sitting at the far left of the auditorium, several rows down. If the criminal did _anything_ remotely suspicious, Ai wanted to be the first to know about it. _But not for Dolphin's sake,_ she reminded herself. _Phibrizzo wouldn't like it if I just let his sister get kidnapped. For all their juvenille behavior, they're still brother and sister, right?_

Ai ignored the introduction of the judges for the most part, although she didn't get why Nurse Joy's lookalike was down there. This whole trip had, like her encounters with Phibrizzo, chucked all logic out a fifth-story window. If there honestly was an entire _family_ of people who'd used photocopies one too many times...

_Bewildered by all this?_ Sabrina's voice asked.

Ai nodded, a bit unnerved but hiding it.

_Well, don't worry about it. Just watch the Contest and enjoy yourself._

"Can't do that," Ai said quietly, glancing briefly at the young woman who stood next to her.

Sabrina frowned. _Why not?_

The shrunken scientist started to explain what she'd overheard Butch and Cassidy saying earlier, but was cut off---rather loudly---by Lillian: "Now, all of you in attendance, _let's...get...busy!_" Rolling her eyes, Ai just decided to tell her later. It didn't look like Cassidy was going to get up and leave just yet, anyhow.

-----------

Since Dolphin's alias came first alphabetically, she was naturally chosen to be first onto the floor. Making sure that her hairbands were in place so that she wouldn't trip, she moseyed onto the stage when her name was called. Shutting out Lillian's comments regarding her first Contest appearance and focusing entirely on her opening performance, she detached Poliwhirl's Poké Ball and released him onto the stage.

Seeing that they'd rehearsed this several times back at the gym, Poliwhirl knew almost by heart the sequence of attacks it was going to use. Raising an icy fist, it nailed the center of the stage with an Ice Punch and turned that section frozen solid. Leaping off to one side, Poliwhirl next aimed an Ice Beam at that point, carefully turning so that the ice sheet formed a spiral pattern.

"Poliwhirl's performance is getting off to a chilly start," Lillian commented, drawing a few groans from the back of the audience (specifically, Ai and Sabrina), "and it doesn't look like it's done yet!"

As she said this, Poliwhirl stopped its Ice Beam and took a few running steps forward. Jumping into the air and raising a glowing fist, it smashed the center of the ice pattern with a Mega Punch. The pattern immediately splintered and shattered, and some of the shards---glittering as they did in the light---were sent airborne by the impact.

--------

As applause rolled throughout the auditorium, Phibrizzo sat in the Coordinator's room and watched his sibling soak it all in. He had trouble standing her when she was like this: being a total showoff and crowd pleaser. This was one of those occasions when he wished he had an ink balloon on hand; at least then he would've gotten a good laugh.

None of the others seemed to think so, the judges included. The stern-faced one---Mr. Contesta, if Phibrizzo heard his name right---commented on the buildup towards Poliwhirl's finishing punch. The round-faced judge agreed with him, simply saying: "Yes. Remarkable!". The third judge, Saffron City's Nurse Joy, spoke something about Poliwhirl's creative Ice Beam usage. All in all, this gave Dolphin a positive score.

As the crowd cheered and the next coordinator left to take his turn, Phibrizzo impatiently stood up. _I can't stand watching her do this. She makes it look too easy._

"We've been over this already," Inuyasha reminded him, almost a bit too forceful. "She's had a lot more practice than you. Of _course_ she makes it look easy!"

"Besides, you shouldn't worry about her performance," Curtis added, in the midst of one of his video games. "Just concentrate on your own, and that of Arcanine's. Save the creative differences for the finals."

_The finals, huh?_ Phibrizzo closed his eyes for a few moments; when he reopened them, he was smirking. _Already decided she's going to last that long?_

"You know as much as we do," said Inuyasha. "Except for that big guy with the ink drawing on his arm, no one here really looks challenging."

"And even then, that guy's going sixth alphabetically, just after you," Curtis said, blasting a few targets away. Fake sound effects added to the musical cacophony. "We don't know what he's going to use yet. Could be something round and cute, or big and fierce. Even so, that little surprise move you taught Flareon on Sunday could give you the edge."

Phibrizzo shuddered, no longer smiling. _I can't believe I let you persuade me to do that. If I wasn't far enough over the edge before, I am now._

"You were _already_ over the edge when we first showed up," Inuyasha spoke. "What makes this any different?"

_That move goes against everything I stand for...everything the __**mazoku**__ race stands for. Remember that I don't consider myself human, you two. Unless the situation is too far gone, I'm not even going to go there._

"With everything you can do, there's no way you _can_ consider yourself human!" Inuyasha complained.

_**Now**__ you're starting to get the picture._

"Phibrizzo, you've made it this far by keeping an open mind," Curtis said, frowning. "You might as well finish the job. You're going to need every trick you can get if you're going to take down Domino." As an afterthought, he added: "And your sister, for that matter. If you can beat her, you can beat anyone."

"It's a stupid argument, anyway," Inuyasha grumbled. "You use it all the time, and it's getting real old."

Phibrizzo shrugged mentally. _Go with what works, I always say._

"Well," Inuyasha growled, "it's not working."

Although Phibrizzo was loathe to admit it, he knew Inuyasha was right. He'd been using that same argument against doing certain things---namely, the one that stated that he wasn't human and never would be---ever since his initial arrival in Tokyo, and it was beginning to wear thin. He knew that sooner or later, he'd have to admit that his personal conditioning was deteriorating.

_Well,_ he thought, keeping it secluded from the others' hearing, _better 'later' than sooner._

-----------

Back in the auditorium, Ai and Sabrina looked on as the three competitors that followed Lauren went through with their acts. Although there were some amusing moments, such as a Wigglytuff doing its impression of a basketball, there really wasn't anything show-stopping in their eyes.

Cassidy hadn't left yet, either. Ai wished that the criminal would get up and actually _do_ something instead of staring at the stage, looking like some sort of spellbound---

A familiar figure stepped onto the stage, and Lillian went ahead and introduced him to the audience. "...Our next competitor is rumored to be the youngest sibling of Lauren Aqua _her_self. In his first Contest appearance, please give a warm welcome to Phibrizzo Kaden!"

As the crowd applauded politely, Ai nearly fell through the railing and into the stands. "Why me?" she questioned, not really asking anyone. "Why _me?_"

Sabrina looked down at her questioningly, but chose to hold her tongue. There were other ways of finding out why she was acting like that, after all...but those could wait until later.

---------

Waiting until the applause died down, Phibrizzo then released his latest acquisation onto the stage. "Arcanine, go for it!"

---------

Dolphin's eyes widened as the fire dog materialized on-stage. Briefly forgetting that the television she was watching was something she abhorred, she asked herself---for the tenth time---when and how Phibrizzo had added a second member to his team.

_Well, at least it isn't a Charizard...those things are too dragon-like for my tastes __**and**__ his._

"Hey...what's going on...?" one of the other coordinators suddenly blurted...just as the **thump** of a body hitting the floor startled everyone. Turning, Dolphin impulsively inhaled...and felt the muscles in one arm slowly weakening. Sure enough, a cloud of yellow particles were drifting throughout the room...and hovering just inside the exit was a Venomoth, Stun Spores blowing around with every flap of its wings.

_Oh, no,_ Dolphin groused silently,_ not again!_ Blocking her nose and mouth with her good hand, she pitched herself to the floor and started hoping that the effects weren't as widespread as they'd been before.

---------

"Alright, Arcanine, you know what to do!" Phibrizzo shouted, urging the fire dog forward. "Flame Wheel!"

A blazing aura flared around the Arcanine as it raced forward. Leaping into the air, it rolled into a ball and let itself strike the ground. Continuing to roll forward for several meters, it made a sharp turn and repeated the process, leaving behind black burn marks on the floor. When it arrived back at its starting point, Arcanine dispersed Flame Wheel's firey energies and jumped backwards. At this point, those in the stadium could now tell that the burn marks formed the rough shape of a pentagon.

"That's one, and now for two!" Phibrizzo called out. "Fire Blast!"

The energies returned, this time forming just inside Arcanine's mouth. Propelling itself off the ground with the force of an uncoiled spring, it deployed one of its strongest attacks directly at the pentagon pattern.

When the smoke from the resulting explosion cleared, a Fire Blast-shaped scorch mark was laid out inside the pentagon. The tips of the mark were clearly touching the corners of the pattern.

---------

As the Venomoth finished its business, Butch slipped a breath mask over his face and entered the Coordinators' room. As suspected, everyone inside had inhaled some of the Stun Spore; most of them were sprawled across benches and the floor, effectively unable to move. The attack's target, Lauren Aqua, was draped across the floor in front of the television, one hand still near her face in a futile attempt to keep from breathing in any Spores. Her eyes were squeezed shut from the attack's effect.

Not bothering to disguise his actions anymore, Butch took out a thick chain and began binding Lauren's limbs with it. "Sorry to have to do this, lady," he said, "but I've got a job to do, and no fish freak or firebrat's going to keep me from doing it."

Occupied with his work, he didn't see Lauren's eyes fly open at the insult.

--------

"And lastly," Phibrizzo declared, "the finishing touch! Flamethrower!"

Having gone over this pattern with Phibrizzo ninety minutes earlier, Arcanine knew exactly where to strike. Aiming at five points one after another, it struck the ground in front of the pentagon with repeated Flamethrower bursts, taking care to use just the right amount of fire.

Arcanine quit firing off its attacks and took several steps back, pleased with the results: while there hadn't seemed to be any purpose to the attacks at first, anyone who paid attention could clearly see the pawprint design burned onto the floor.

As they'd done with Dolphin, the crowd cheered its approval. "Sounds like this artistic Arcanine has scored points with the crowd," Lillian remarked, "but let's see what the judges have to say!"

However, no one got to hear exactly what they had to say. One of the doors that led off the stage crashed open in mid-analysis, and a flood of water spilled out onto the stage---along with a Venomoth and a very nonplussed Butch. The judges---and Lillian, surprisingly---were startled silent, and Phibrizzo just looked on curiously.

Up above the stands, Ai smirked as Cassidy shot up from a sitting position as if she'd been sitting on a spring. "Should of figured that Lauren would be able to handle it on her own."

"What are you talking about?" Sabrina asked, curious.

"There's been a kidnapping attempt on Lauren," Ai explained to her. "I overheard Dutch and Cassidy---I mean, _Butch_ and Cassidy---talking about it earlier. Since Phibrizzo and Lauren are related, I thought about telling him about it when he arrived on-stage. I just didn't get the chance."

"Well, you don't need to worry about that," Sabrina said, smiling. Her eyes began glowing.

"Why's that?"

"Because I'm going to tell him myself."

-----------

His video game paused for the moment, Curtis looked out the viewport as Butch and a Venomoth washed up on-stage. "Well, that's one way to put yourself in the Contest," he commented dryly.

"This is weird," Phibrizzo said to himself. "What's he doing up here? And why's he looking like a drowned rat?"

"He's not a coordinator," Inuyasha said, taking note of the bristling Arcanine. "Someone should get him off the stage before your friend gets any funny ideas."

Before either Phibrizzo or Curtis could answer him, the flickering image of a young woman appeared on the latter's television, overriding the paused game. She spoke loud and clear, despite her lips not moving. "-Phibrizzo. Phibrizzo Kaden. Can you hear me? I have a message for----"

Curtis spun to face the screen; although part of him recognized Sabrina for who she was, another part of him unwisely interceded on its behalf. "Hey! You! _Get out of my television! Now!_"

Taken off guard, Sabrina's image did just that. A brief burst of static, and Curtis's video game returned.

_Whoa,_ Phibrizzo murmured eloquently. _How surreal was __**that**_

Neither of the two had anything to say.

------

Shocked in the middle of her statement, Sabrina shook her head as contact was broken. Even if people didn't like her, she hadn't expected an outburst like that. And the image that she'd seen... "I can't do it."

"You can't?" Ai said, clearly surprised...and as she turned to face her, Cassidy got up and began edging slowly down the stairs.

"For the seconds I'd been in there, I'd been able to see a rather surprising image," Sabrina told her. "It was of a spaceship...attacking a brain possessing a giant eye and claws."

Ai sweatdropped. "Okay..."

"That's not the worst of it," Sabrina continued. "Before I could say anything important, I heard this guy's voice say: 'Get out of my television!'"

"_Double_-okay," Ai amended, forcing the surrealism of the situation to fade. She shook her head, wondering how she was going to let Phibrizzo know without getting close to the stage...

...and remembered something that she'd pocketed before Phibrizzo arrived at Doctor Agasa's that morning. "Don't bother trying to contact him, Sabrina...it's a wasted effort." She withdrew a small yellow and teal badge from her pocket. "_I'll_ call him."

-------

Dolphin marched on-stage, following the watery trail she'd sent the gravel-voiced man and the Venomoth on. The muscles in her right arm were still numb, but the energies in her left arm were still throbbing from the tidal wave...and the man's insult. _The nerve of a total stranger...! Being called that by Phibrizzo is one thing...but someone I don't even know? There's no excuse for that!_

Having experienced Crash and Flame's tactics for herself, she had no desire to reexperience them from someone else. After accidentally inhaling some of the Stun Spore and realizing what was happening, she'd thrown herself to the floor and taken a deep breath...and held it until she was sure that the attack had ceased. Although it had taken more than a minute, she knew that her lungs---enhanced as they were---were up to the challenge (_never thought I'd be thinking that, _she'd thought afterward). Once her attacker had called her a 'fish freak', she gave up all pretense of being knocked out.

After seeing Phibrizzo take something out of his pocket and speak into it, she dismissed him and focused on her would-be kidnapper, pulling out a sign that read: 'Alright, wise guy, what's the big idea?'

The man got to his feet, wiping water out of his eyes. His stare was more indignant than surprised. "No fair, Aqua! You were out as cold as a cucumber! How'd you manage that water trick in that condition, anyway!?"

'I already fell for that trick once,' Lauren answered, then flipped the sign around as each sentence was finished. 'You can't fool a Dolphin with the same tactics twice.' 'All I did was hold my breath and block off my nose and mouth.' 'Now, I'll say it again: what's the big idea?' And the finale, in large print, was: **'Who are you?'**

The man had the audacity to smile, even as the crowd was muttering amongst themselves. "Asking who I am is asking for trouble."

An orange-haired woman jumped from one of the stairways to join him on-stage; a bizarre device was held in one hand. "And when we're both together, make it double."

"Oh, for---" Phibrizzo started to say...

...but was cut off by the duo. "Here's our mission, so you'd better listen!"

"To infect the world with devestation..."

"To blight all people in every nation..."

"To denounce the goodness of truth and love..."

"To extend our wrath to the stars above..."

"Cassidy!..."

"...and Butch!..."

The two of them struck a pose, ditching their disguises. "Team Rocket, circling the earth all day and night!"

"Surrender to us now, or you will surely lose the fight!"

The Venomoth, its wings still waterlogged, chittered its agreement.

Phibrizzo made his dissatisfaction known with a loud yawn, putting something---was that a badge?---into his pocket. "Really," he grumbled, his eyes watering a little from the yawn. "I've known justice-loving princesses with better speeches. Besides, I like Jessie and James' variation a _lot_ better, Mulch."

Both Team Rocket agents fell out of the pose, barely managing to keep their balance. "I said '_Butch'! _What do I need to do, get you a hearing aid!?" Butch protested.

Phibrizzo smacked his forehead. "I don't get what's going on here...I know I haven't misheard his name, so why...?"

"Forget about it," Cassidy ordered, brandishing the object she held. Wary of whatever it was, Dolphin took several steps back as the woman continued. "Now, come with us before we turn mean."

Phibrizzo quietly strolled past his Arcanine and walked towards them, but their attention was on Dolphin. 'If those fire-type-loving ingrates couldn't subdue me...' _Flip._ '...then neither can candles last before a hurricane. Back off.'

Butch glared at her. "Didn't think you'd come quietly. Alright, Cassidy!"

Cassidy pushed a button on the device. Warned by the sparking antennae, Dolphin quickly side-stepped the first burst of electricity. The next blast tagged her useless arm, but she scarcely even felt the voltage that enveloped it. _Why do I have to go through days like this?_ Dolphin moaned mentally. _All I wanted was to participate in a Contest! That firebrat brings trouble with him wherever he goes! I'd be much better off---_

Before Cassidy could fire again, she and Butch were stopped by the increased murmuring from the crowd and the judges. It was a lot noisier than it should have been, even in the light of the attempted kidnapping they were carrying out. Cautiously, the agents turned their heads...

...and were treated with the sight of Phibrizzo, standing a few feet behind them and off to the side; his arms were stretched far enough to touch the farthest wall. "What the---!?" they chorused.

"Got something to ask you," Phibrizzo said, grinning sinisterly. "Do you know what my three favorite words are?"

"What kind of stupid question is that?" Butch asked, starting to sweat bullets. "No, we don't!"

"Then I'll tell you what they are." Phibrizzo's arms rapidly began stretching back to their normal length. "_Gum Gum Bazooka!_" His hands slammed into the duo---plus their Venomoth, who had finally managed to get the water off its wings---and sent them crashing through a wall and into the sky, missing Dolphin by several feet. The tazer dropped out of Cassidy's hands, landing on the stage with a clatter.

By the time they could yell out "Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!", they were too far out to be heard distinctly. The twinkling of light reflecting off Cassidy's earrings signalled their departure as they sailed towards the stratosphere.

------

The entire auditorium---judges, announcer, and crowd---were dead silent for a minute as they digested what had just happened. Phibrizzo didn't blame them; having rubber-esque limbs tended to set any non-Neriman off-balance. After the minute had passed, however, the silence started to annoy him. "Okay, already," he stated aloud, recalling his Arcanine. "I've got rubber arms. Big fat deal. Could we just get on with the Contest already?"

The tapping of wood against a broken door got his attention as Dolphin brandished another sign, turning to the resident Nurse Joy. 'First, we need a Chansey in the Coordinators' room, pronto.' _Flip_. 'Everyone in there's under the effects of Venomoth's Stun Spore...' _Flip._ '...so, the use of Heal Bell would be appreciated.'

"Oh. Um...right. Thank you for telling me." Nodding her head at the two trainers, Joy left the podium and hurried down the short hallway towards the Coordinators' room, noting the water damage that Dolphin's attack had caused earlier.

Which said nothing for the chunks of wall blown out of place by the Gum Gum Bazooka.

Phibrizzo walked over as close to center stage as he could without stepping on Arcanine's pawprint design. Taking out a microphone and flicking it on, he said: "Ladies and gentlemen, it'll be a little bit before everyone's suitably recovered. In the meantime, feel free to talk amongst yourselves until we can resume." His eyes connected with several people at the top of the seating areas. "And to Hailey and the woman who popped into my head several minutes ago, get down here. You can hardly see anything from up there."

From Sabrina's viewpoint, it was one of the worst things he could've said; almost every pair of eyes in the room connected with her. Some of the people nearest to the exits started to get up and leave. The gym leader waved at the crowd uneasily, trying not to take offense at their nervous and/or upset stares.

In the end, she didn't need to; Phibrizzo took offense for her. "_Hey!_" he shouted. "_What's the big idea!? Does she look like a monster to you? Well, she's __**not**__; she's as human as you are, and you think she's worse than __**I**__ am! If you think she'll cause problems, then take your thoughts up with __**me!**__ Now, quit staring at her like she doesn't belong here! We want to __**enjoy**__ the Contest, keep in mind, and I'm sure she wants the same!"_

That did the trick; as one, the crowd turned to face Phibrizzo with surprise in their eyes---and, both Inuyasha and Curtis noted, a little respect in some cases. The pseudo-human seemed a lot calmer now. "Thank you," he said. "Honestly...if you think telekinesis and telepathy is worse than having rubber arms..." He shut off the microphone and turned away from the crowd, muttering something to himself.

"Uh...quite the speech, Phibrizzo," Lillian piped up hesitantly, walking over to him. "I'm not sure I understand completely what's going on, but you're right. We can't let anything hinder Saffron's first Contest, can we?"

Phibrizzo nodded, watching Sabrina and Ai go down the stairs. "I want to apologize for acting up like that, Miss Meridian. I've seen some of the same looks directed at people I know, and I'm sick of it."

Lillian waved him off, smiling. "Don't worry about it. The gym leader deserves some _healthy_ respect, after all. Um, how did you do that...stretchy trick a minute ago?"

"Long story made short: bad decisions, bad chemistry." Phibrizzo folded his arms. "I hadn't planned on doing that, but Team Rocket was annoying me." When Dolphin arched an eyebrow, he hastily added: "And they were trying to nab my sister. Couldn't have that, either. So, what's the judges' ruling on Arcanine's performance?"

Lillian turned expectantly to Mr. Contesta. "What's the word?"

Oddly, the first judge hadn't remained surprised by Phibrizzo's attack against Team Rocket. "Nice usage of Arcanine's fire attacks. The pawprint design was pretty clever, although a little extra work could've yielded some creative results."

The remaining judge, Mr. Sukizo, nodded. "Yes, indeed. Remarkable."

"And since Nurse Joy isn't here at the moment," Mr. Contesta continued, "we can assume that she saw something efficient as well. We'll ask when she returns, but in the meantime, you can talk to your friends until the situation is taken care of."

The relative quiet was broken by someone's clapping; Phibrizzo and Dolphin turned to the nearby Ai, who just smirked and continued on. Slowly, the noise level in the auditorium returned to normal. Phibrizzo---who was hoping that the Contest would resume soon---pocketed the electrical device that Team Rocket had dropped and jumped off the stage to meet with his shrunken associate.

---------

About fifteen minutes later, Nurse Joy returned and reported that Chansey's Heal Bell had been helpful in restoring the health and mobility of the coordinators that had been effected; one of the coordinators (once he could move his arms again) volunteered the use of his Parasect's Aromatherapy to speed the process. To restore the use of her numb arm, Dolphin had called Poliwhirl back out so he could give it a thorough dowsing.

Several extra minutes were spent making sure all the coordinators had recovered. Once it was confirmed, Lillian made the announcement that the Appeals stage could continue, allowing Greg Marron and the rest to take their turns.

When the first stage concluded, four coordinators remained: Dolphin, Greg, the burly guy with the tattoo, and Phibrizzo. The half-mazoku had hoped to test Flareon's abilities against Greg's Dugtrio, but was disappointed when the matchups were determined; the red-haired trainer would be battling Dolphin instead. This left Phibrizzo to battle the Jigglypuff-tattooed man, "Bench" Mark Clements.

The battles had five-minute time limits, but Dolphin hardly needed that much time. Just past the three-minute mark, Dolphin's Vaporeon flooded and froze the tunnels that Dugtrio was digging, leaving the three-headed mole wide open to a simple Take Down.

"Bench" Mark's Primeape, while possessing a mean Thunderbolt attack, simply could not keep up with Flareon's speed. After learning from Curtis that Primeape was primarily an up-close-and-personal Pokémon, Phibrizzo had Flareon keep out of range and toast the fighter-type with short fire bursts. When Primeape was finally worn down with two minutes left, Sunburst's Shadow Ball finished the business.

All in all, neither Ai nor the sibling contestants ever doubted the outcome.

-----

Time went on, finding Phibrizzo a few minutes later at one end of the stage floor. He was wringing his hands, seeming uncharacteristically nervous.

"Are you okay over there?" Curtis asked, nearing the end of his game.

_Don't take it the wrong way. I'm just determined not to let myself get beat by Dolphin in front of a crowd._

"Don't worry about it. At the very least, you'll be showing that you're related to her."

_You're saying that like it's a _good_ thing._

Curtis chuckled. "What I mean is that you've got the same creative skills as Dolphin. You're just utilizing them differently. Water and fire, and all that."

_I suppose._ Phibrizzo looked up as Lillian began her pre-battle speech. _Now, stay quiet. I've got a match to win._

"...brother against sister, fire against water, Phibrizzo Kaden versus Lauren Aqua. Let's see who walks away from this Contest with the Saffron ribbon! Now then, if the contestants are ready..."

A slight 'ping' told the two siblings that the scoreboard was set for the start of the matches. Phibrizzo looked up, laughing as he saw his sister's picture: very much a 'deer-caught-in-headlights' expression, caused by facing a camera at close range. When she discovered the reason for his mirth, it was all Dolphin could do to keep herself riveted to the ground. She didn't let anyone else see this, however.

Finally, after the hysterics had faded, Dolphin and Phibrizzo nodded in confirmation to the announcer's statement. Lillian continued on. "...then _let's...get...busy!_"

**Time set: 5:00**

Taking the cue, both coordinators set their respective Pokémon loose onto the stage. Like she had in her first battle against Phibrizzo, Dolphin decided to test Sunburst's progress. 'Jetsam, Water Gun.'

Even as the Vaporeon disgorged the watery blast, Phibrizzo had decided that he wasn't going to take the same approach to battling as he did last time. "Flareon, Quick Attack!"

Sunburst darted forward and around Vaporeon's Water Gun---causing a small drop in Dolphin's point meter---and streaked towards his foe. Jetsam couldn't stop the Water Gun in time before Flareon crashed into her, pitching her back a short ways.

"Hard and fast, Sunburst," Phibrizzo called. "Flamethrower!"

Dolphin frowned as she heard this. _At close range, fire-type attacks could still do damage. Best to remedy that._ 'Double Team.'

Vaporeon split into a half-dozen afterimages, successfully evading Sunburst's attack. From there she went straight into a Take Down, inflicting a loss to Phibrizzo's point total and to Flareon's energy.

"Lauren Aqua's Vaporeon has proved capable of switching attacks without missing a beat," Lillian spoke to the audience. "It's clear that we have an artist at work!"

Dolphin smirked. _No question that Phibrizzo's making the most of his training sessions, though...he's definitely improving._ She noted the time remaining---**4:15**---and decided to see what he'd been doing with his Pokémon. 'Double Water Pulse!'

Jetsam once more formed several copies of herself, this time shaping a ring around Flareon. Several seconds went by, enough time for the fire-type to become sufficiently confused. Vaporeon---in conjunction with her illusions---fired off a Water Pulse, using the various afterimages as a means of hiding the direction her assault was coming from.

Unlike Domino's Feraligatr, Phibrizzo knew how to counter the move. "Blaze Pogo, and then Shadow Ball!"

Sunburst assailed the ground beneath him with a Flamethrower, forcing himself airborne and out of harm's way as the Water Pulse connected with the place he'd been just a few seconds before. While halfway to the ceiling, Flareon gathered his energies and fired his next attack. The Shadow Ball landed and exploded in the midst of Jetsam's Double Team, dispelling the illusions and nearly striking the water-type dead-on. Jetsam, however, was able to escape the full brunt of the blast.

------

Curtis looked at one of the monitors in his chamber, noticing both opponents' point meters decreasing with each attack and counterstrategy used. "How goes it in there?" he asked. "Are you thinking about using that one move anytime soon?"

_I was hoping I wouldn't have to,_ Phibrizzo thought as he saw Jetsam and Flareon glaring at each other from across the stage.

"People take these battles of theirs way too seriously," Inuyasha remarked off-hand. "They should lighten up a little. Go on and prove it, why don't you?"

Phibrizzo expelled a sigh. _I was hoping I wouldn't have to, but I don't think Dolphin's going to give me another chance..._ "Alright, Sunburst. Let's hurry up and get this over with."

Lillian turned to him, interested. "Sounds like Kaden's got something planned!"

"'Something' is right," he snapped. "Look your best, Flareon. Use Attract!"

------

In the audience, Sabrina and Ai both blinked. _Attract?...What the...?_

Before everyone's eyes, pink sparkles began forming around Flareon's head. His fur began glistening in the spotlight. His eyes shone like ebony gems. His mane of yellow fur fluffed out as he turned his head to face Vaporeon, as if to say: "No need to worry; I have come for you, my dear". The very visage of Sunburst, who had become---in a heartbeat---the most beautiful creature in Kanto, would've done Fabio Lanzoni proud. The sound of birds chirping somewhere in the distance---heard through the hole in the wall---added to the effect.

The females in the audience---except for Sabrina and Ai, who shielded their eyes and tried not to watch---began squealing in delight as a kaleidoscope of pink and orange coloring seemed to swirl around the fire-type. On the stage, Nurse Joy seemed almost as awestruck like those in the audience were, as was Lillian; Dolphin's eyes were bulging out of their sockets, the semi-human being in total disbelief.

Jetsam, who was the true target of Flareon's 'attack', never stood a chance. As soon as the uber-cute and handsome Sunburst turned her way, the bubble jet Pokémon began quivering with restrained excitement. It whined something almost sickeningly cute, its shimmering eyes taking on vague heart shapes. Any and all dignity that the Vaporeon had possessed earlier was gone as it watched Sunburst turn this way and that.

Stunned, Phibrizzo remained stock-still as the clock ticked towards the **3:00** mark. Both Inuyasha and Curtis's eyes twitched as they surveyed what had been wrought. "Phibrizzo?" Curtis spoke.

_Um...yes?_

"I think Flareon overdid it."

_I __**knew**__ using this was a mistake._ "You can knock it off now, Sunburst. I think she likes you enough already."

Flareon nodded and began releasing the effects. After about eight seconds, he looked more or less like an average Pokémon. To Jetsam, however, he was still the prettiest thing to come along since...well, _ever._ She hadn't been this obsessed over someone since she was still a childish Eevee.

Lillian recovered quickly. "Well, that was a shocker...Flareon has turned on the cute, leaving Vaporeon completely lovestruck! I don't know who's more surprised by Phibrizzo's tactic...me, or Dolphin!"

Not to be forgotten by Phibrizzo was the fact that Dolphin's point total had decreased almost to the halfway point, giving him a decent lead. _...Okay, so maybe using it wasn't a __**complete**__ loss._

Dolphin just stood there, her eyes the size of oranges and her mouth nearly off its hinges. When she realized this, she shook her head angrily and whipped out a sign. 'Who do you think you are, using a move like that?!'

"Don't get your ponytails in a knot," Phibrizzo retorted. "If I'd known it would have this much of an effect, I would've tried teaching him much sooner."

**2:30**

Dolphin would've chucked the sign at him if the judges weren't looking. With visible restraint on her part, she instead put the sign away and tried snapping Jetsam out of it. 'Jetsam? _Jetsam?_ Are you listening to me?'

'I'm listening,' Vaporeon whined, 'but why do I have to fight him? He's---'

While the two were communicating, Flareon took advantage of it and sent his Flamethrower washing over his opponent. Jetsam took the blast head on, obviously willing to take the damage; when Sunburst finally stopped his attack, though, the water-type was still standing...and quite apparently, out of her mind. '---so cute, and that Flamethrower of his is absolutely _lovely_...'

Phibrizzo loosed a laugh as Dolphin's point total continued to descend, although his own points dwindled a little as well. "So, how are you going to get her to continue?"

Internally frustrated, Dolphin knew that her options had been effectively cut in half by Phibrizzo's tactics. 'Jetsam, please! No matter how big a crush you have on him, it shouldn't keep you from defending yourself from him!'

Jetsam turned just a little, looking at her sadly out the corner of her eyes. 'But what good is battling him? Why should I damage the appearance of my deliverer? Why should I---'

She never heard the Vaporeon speak. The roar of the ocean echoed throughout Dolphin's very being, her mazoku's will protesting violently against another urge: to just let her Pokémon do as she pleased. The clock was ticking, and if she didn't do anything to get Jetsam motivated again, Phibrizzo---someone who shouldn't have had what it took to compete in a Contest---would walk away with the win...and the Ribbon besides. She didn't have time for this!

Another thought came to mind, and she shivered as it did so...but, deciding to eschew everything she was, she followed that thought's impulse. She couldn't afford to think on this any longer!

'Fine!' Dolphin inaudibly shouted at Jetsam, surprising even herself. 'If you just follow my guidance and battle that Flareon for the next two minutes, you can spend as much time with him as you wish afterwards!'

----------

As she read the older sibling's lips, Ai was able to get the general gist of what Dolphin was saying. Her eyes widened a sliver. "Hmm," she mused. "That's one way to counter Phibrizzo's move."

Sabrina stared at her, curious. "What do you mean? What was she saying?"

"The gist of it was that she'd let the two of them be together if she'd just finish the match in one piece," Ai said. "It's kind of risky, you know."

As they continued watching, though, Vaporeon was able to overcome her infatuation with Phibrizzo's Flareon. The water-type wasted no time in dispensing a quick Water Gun, which her opponent was able to dodge.

"Well, whatever risks come of this, it seems to have worked," Sabrina said quietly. "It's been a while since I've seen a battle like this..."

Ai took a quick look at her face before continuing to watch the Contest. Curious about the lifeforms she was watching, she made a mental note to take some materials on Pokémon home with her. She wanted to know now, more than ever, the true reasons why these creatures had escaped her notice for so long.

---------

Phibrizzo winced as Jetsam finally got her brain functions under control. _I feel like I had a headache that just got up and left. I'm glad __**that**__ part's over._

"I wish I could read lips," Curtis groused. "Then I'd be able to tell exactly what she said."

"Whatever it was, it looks like Jetsam's managed to quit being so infatuated." Inuyasha started pacing back and forth in his chamber, his eyes still on the stage. "It hurt my eyes just watching."

**1:30**

_Then let's turn the heat up to the maximum!_ "Sunburst, use Furnace!"

Flareon's golden mane fluffed out as his body temperature began rising, and his red fur began glowing brightly. The air around it seemed distorted, a sure sign of the intense heat it was emitting. Crying out fiercely, Sunburst burst into a Quick Attack and rammed Vaporeon at full speed, sending it spinning. The water-type slowly staggered back to its feet, trying to maintain its cool in spite of the burn that the Furnace's fire had inflicted.

"And the surprises just keep on coming!" Lillian announced. "Flareon's shining like a star, and giving off some serious heat!"

**(BGM -- X Vs. Zero battle theme, from 'Megaman X5')**

The perspiration on everyone's foreheads added credence to Lillian's statement. "It looks colorful, but it's a dangerous move," Phibrizzo heard Mr. Contesta comment off-hand, watching Flareon pant a little. He dabbed at his face with a handkerchief. "It seems to me that the longer Flareon keeps it up, it'll just continue to wear itself out."

_**I**__ could've told him that._

Recovering its balance, Jetsam no longer bothered with adding style and grace to its attacks. Upon being ordered to use Hydro Pump, she quickly did so with tremendous force. Some of the water evaporated when it passed through Sunburst's blazing aura, but the rest of it struck the fire-type dead-on. The pressure had been significantly lessened, though, and Flareon was able to recover fast enough to dodge Jetsam's follow-up Water Gun.

**0:50**

"Sunburst, Flame Wheel!"

The air around Flareon seemed to erupt, shielding Sunburst in flames. Across the way, Dolphin tried unsuccessfully to keep the sweat out of her eyes. 'Frozen Lake, stage two: Ice Hydrant!'

Taking a few precious seconds to concentrate, Jetsam finally loosed a narrower, concentrated burst of water. The center of the Water Gun-esque attack was literally an icy core, enabling it to sustain the attack if it melted. And melt it did; the fringe of the Hydrant sizzled as it came into contact with Flareon's fur. Wincing as he felt his reserves slipping, he dashed off to one side and turned at a right angle, the blazing aura shrinking ever so slightly. Jetsam had plenty of time to swerve out of harm's way, but the fish-dog's burns and the multiple high-powered attacks were taking their toll; it stumbled and almost fell as Sunburst turned to face it.

**0:30**

"At only thirty seconds to go, both time and points are running out for our coordinators," Lillian stated, having stepped as far away from Sunburst as was permissible. "What remaining tricks do they have up their sleeves?"

"Just one," Phibrizzo responded, his fists tightening. "You know what to do, Sunburst! Twilight Sphere!"

As ordered, Flareon---to most of the audience's amazement---formed a Shadow Ball in its mouth, held it there for several costly seconds, then triggered a Flamethrower and enveloped it in fire. It increased in size by several inches, becoming a dark violet in color.

'Jetsam, I understand you're hurt, but I need one more attack out of you,' Dolphin urged. Seeing Vaporeon nod its understanding, she gave the order. 'Hydro Pump, maximum force!'

As it was, both Pokémon launched their final assaults almost simultaneously. For an instant, it seemed as if both attacks would strike head-on; it would've provided a spectacular show, for sure. Instead, the Twilight Sphere went _straight down the middle_ of the Hydro Pump's spiralling wave, burning through any water that came into contact with it and exploding violently just a few feet away from Jetsam.

The people on the stage and in the rows in front of it shielded themselves as a thick wave of smoke and dust clouded the front of the auditorium. Twin yelps were clearly heard as, behind the smoky veil, both Pokémon were pitched backward.

**0:00**

I wasn't long before the suspense and tension were lifted. With the damage done to the wall, the smoke caused by the explosion cleared quickly enough for the audience to view the battle's outcome.

Both Vaporeon and Flareon were too battle-damaged and weary to continue, both of them sprawled out on opposite ends of the stage. As a bright red 'X' appeared on each of the judge's monitors, everyone checked the scoreboard. Phibrizzo's point total was completely erased, since Sunburst's Furnace had taken its toll. Dolphin's score almost seemed dead-even with his---that is, zero---but someone in the audience pointed out that there was a sliver still remaining on the board.

The Twilight Sphere, while both creative and formidable, was not enough to take victory out of Dolphin's hands.

"The Contest is over! After a spectacular and awe-inspiring match, Lauren Aqua walks away the winner, and the first-ever Saffron City Ribbon is her reward!" Lillian declared, sparking a round of applause.

Dolphin let out a breath that she hadn't realized she'd been holding. _That was...something else. Much as I'd like to be upset at Phibrizzo for teaching his Flareon that blasphemous move, that'll have to wait._ She held out Jetsam's Poké Ball and activated it, recalling the exhausted water-type. _He's certainly making use of what little time he spends here._

Phibrizzo ignored the comments that the judges made about the performance, although he did notice off-hand that their remarks focused on the positive aspects of both Pokémon. He recalled Sunburst to his Poké Ball, then sat himself down on the stage. _That's taken care of...maybe now we can get our agenda straightened out again._

"Well, obviously you can't train them anymore," Inuyasha said. "You could just leave them at the Cerulean Center and go home."

_Maybe. That's sort of what I feel like doing, but I think first I should run by Professor Oak's place and see if he's around._ Phibrizzo watched as Dolphin waved victoriously at the crowd, not paying attention to the Coordinators that had entered the staging area. _If he's there, maybe he can give Ai the rundown on Pokémon._

Curtis, who had his game paused for most of the battle, re-started it with the intent to finish it quickly. "You seem okay with the fact that you just got beat," he said off-hand.

_I already figured from the start that I wouldn't be able to take Dolphin down. Sunburst isn't good enough for that. I knew what my expectations were, and I'm not disappointed that they weren't surpassed._ Phibrizzo got up and walked to the nearest stairway, where Ai and Sabrina were on their way down. Jumping up onto it, he stepped up to join them as the Contest Ribbon was brought out and presented to Dolphin.

Only those that were watching him leave saw the smile that tugged at the corners of his lips; as always, he wasn't about to admit to anyone that he found the whole experience gratifying.

---

The rest of the day went by smoothly. After chatting for a while with Curtis, Sabrina and Ai, Phibrizzo teleported to Professor Oak's laboratory with the junior scientist in tow. He spent a large chunk of the afternoon exploring Pallet Town, taking in the sights. At one point he'd caught a glimpse of a Mr. Mime, but decided the matter wasn't worth looking into.

Taking a peek at a television that was on in one of the homes, he overheard that the damages to the Saffron Contest Hall would be repaired in short order. Happily for him, there was no mention at all of the actions Phibrizzo had taken against Team Rocket; there was, though, amusing footage of the audience being cowed when he protested their treatment of Sabrina. He figured that would go a ways towards convincing people that the gym leader's attitude had changed over several years...as well as giving him quite a reputation.

Much of Ai's time was spent listening to Oak and Tracy explain how life in Kanto, Johto and the other regions worked. It was a bit much to take in all at once, so Ai decided to go over the notes she took when she got back home. Noting that the shrunken girl had a scientific mind, Oak suggested before she left that she have Phibrizzo take her up to one of the libraries in Viridian so she could get a more comprehensive look.

Dolphin took Jetsam back to the Cerulean Pokémon Center after the ceremony was over. After the Vaporeon returned home later in the day, the repercussions of Dolphin's actions during the Contest started filling her with regret: Jetsam started telling anyone who would listen about how great Flareon was, usually with a glimmer in her eyes.

Everything---well, a lot of things, anyway---was turning out well...and not just for the resident protagonists.

---

Location: The Nekohanten, Nerima district

Two figures. One, tall and young; the other, short and old. Despite the differences in skill, neither of them were any less dangerous.

The tall one was on her knees, showing her respect to the figure before her. Elder Cologne had asked for her, and she was not one to turn down her request.

Said Elder looked her over, then nodded. "So it is true? You have carried out the favor that your late father had required of you?"

An affirmative nod. "I have studied with your tribe for five years and completed my training regimen. The Council has instructed me to gain your approval before I can return to my homeland."

There was a twinkle in Cologne's eyes. "And you do not wish to seek a husband for yourself?"

The figure fidgeted. "I do not wish to pass my condition to anyone. The effects of the Clandestine Syndrome are best left restricted to prevent contamination."

"...Very well. If approval is what you seek, it will be given...on one condition."

An anxious stare.

"Do your utmost," Cologne said, showing her a picture of a small boy, "to defeat this one in combat: the one known has Phibrizzo Kaden. The Kiss of Marriage shall not apply if you are unsuccessful."

A pause.

"You disapprove?"

"Forgive me, Elder, but he seems so...young."

"This boy's youth belies powers even I don't understand. He is far too powerful for his age, amongst other suspicious things. Engage him and gauge his abilities, and you shall be able to return home at last."

Glittering emerald eyes greeted her, ready to meet her future. "I will."

---------------

_Chapter Twenty-One concluded. Chapter Twenty-Two soon to commence_

Author's Notes

Thanks a ton to Crystlshake for reading over Chapter Twenty-One's second half. Appreciate it!

_Finally_. After experiencing a cross-country move, an assortment of real-life issues and a tremendous dip in my motivation, this chapter's finally over and done with. The move wasn't _entirely_ bad; I picked up some material for use in this chapter:

(1) - When we stopped to eat at a 'Cracker Barrel' restaurant in Missouri and had just gotten done ordering dinner, I saw this big, burly guy at another table with---of all things---a Jigglypuff tattoo on his arm. I am not making this up.

And, (2) - The "Yakov's Bar and Grill" segment was based on this conversation my brother had at a rest stop's telephone, after he suspected that a person who'd left a minute earlier was a hooker waiting for said phone call. Hilarious.

As you've noticed, I decided to go with _both_ names: Ai Haibara as her regular name, and Anita Hailey as Phibrizzo's own name for her. Expect this to be a great source of annoyance.

I always wondered how the Attract move would manifest itself in the anime. This is just my own rendition of it.

Butch never gets any respect, does he? Heh, heh.

I don't think I'll be doing these Contests too much. The types of combos they use aren't really my thing.

I apologize if the chapter's conclusion seemed rather abrupt. Like I said, I hadn't had any motivation to work on this since March, and I wanted it finished and out of the way.

Three points to anyone who figured out what game Curtis was playing during the Contest.

Well, I was finally able to get a job recently. This means that the amount of time I have to work on stuff like this will be extremely low. If I don't get anymore chapters done, then I'd like to say that I have no regrets about my story and that I enjoyed working on it. But if I do, then expect an original character or two to show up in the next chapter.

Ciao mein, everyone.


	38. Chapter Twenty Two: Case File 2

*WHAT* INSERTION?

by Curtis Wildcat

_Chapter Twenty-Two --- Case File: Phibrizzo_

--------

**(Cue theme)**

--------

Time: Wednesday morning, April 24, 1996

Location: Kaden residence

_Another day, another...something or other._

Working some imagined kinks out of his arms, Phibrizzo jumped out of bed and threw his attire for the day together. Being associated with fire and darkness for longer than he could remember, his inked T-shirts and dark jeans reminded him of those elements whenever he donned them. What was more was that he vowed to never forget his past, for doing so would cause more trouble than it was worth. His darker side would always be a part of him, anyway.

He checked briefly on his two mind-dwellers, just to be safe. Inuyasha had once again bored himself asleep; this was becoming increasingly common for him, since he was nowhere near as stressed as he used to be during his hunts for that Naraku character. Considering the publicity he was garnering as a modern-day vigilante, he should've been more bothered.

Curtis, after once more disappearing for a short time during the night, had reappeared and decided to watch reruns of some old television programs. Phibrizzo had no idea what they were about, but judging by the voices he heard, he suspected that the main character in one of them was a major bigot. _"Those were the days"_, _indeed._

After finishing getting ready, he checked to make sure he had everything. _Sunglasses in subspace...check._

_Bracelet...check._

_Junior Detective League badge...check._

_Books and supplies...check._

_Showtime._

After dodging around French Vanilla, eating a quick breakfast and wishing his parents the best for the day, he threw his shoes on and raced out the door into the sunlight.

Another day had dawned; and as usual, Phibrizzo was right in the thick of things.

-----------------

Location: Nerima district, Furinkan High School

She carried herself as a martial artist: about par for the area.

Short red hair that seemed to twist upwards at the back of her head without the use of hair spray, and tipped a bright white like a red fox's tails: A bit strange, but not bizarre.

But her hands...there was something not quite right about her hands.

No matter what was bizarre about her and what wasn't, it got the students talking. The majority of them believed that she was simply a new transfer student that hadn't registered yet; her face was definitely American, and her orange, black and white ensemble---while suitable for the great outdoors---wasn't standard issue.

Of course, there were still a few kids who guessed that she had a claim on Ranma, but that was only the default selection.

The students looked on as she inhaled deeply, a satisfied smile on her face. Several wondered aloud what she was thinking at that moment, standing up there like Dolphin had not long before...but in the next few seconds, their wonderment became moot:

**"Hellooooo, Nerima! You're really great, devoting this time and attention to me, but I have something that needs done. I have a child to find and a home to reclaim! Good-bye, boys and girls, and don't do anything I wouldn't do!"**

With a sudden spring in her step, the hyperactive young woman bounded off the school and began circling the rooftops of the district, whooping and hollering at the top of her lungs and enjoying life to the fullest. The way she seemed to soar between buildings reminded on-lookers of a bird in flight, ever majestic and free.

And yet the consensus amongst people remained: "Is something wrong with her hands?"

------------

Location: Kaden residence

Time: Mid afternoon

Sylvia Kaden, despite being happily married to a loving man for more than eight years and raising a good---if strange---child, never forgot how great it was to be young and carefree. She maintained the connections that she'd formed with her friends from youth on, and it could be said that her inner child had free reign of the playgrounds in a way.

It was for these reasons and more that she looked forward to Phibrizzo's return home from school, even if he had plans to go elsewhere---which he usually did. As was customary for her, she waited a handful of steps away from the door.

Right on cue, the door opened. Phibrizzo stepped on through, handing over his schoolbag to Sylvia and closing the door behind him. "Hi, Mom."

Sylvia smiled slightly. "Hi, Phibrizzo. You're going to Nerima, right?"

A blink. "How'd you guess?"

"It's been a few days, so I figured you were overdue. Anyway, you know the drill: be back by mealtime, and don't cause _too_ much trouble."

Phibrizzo smirked at this, but nodded and teleported away. Sylvia stared at the spot where he'd been standing just a second prior, then walked over and sat down in a nearby chair...and wondered, not for the first time, why he was so adventurous. What spurred the need for him to always be out and about?

And why was he trying so hard to make amends? Wasn't the love and attention of his family enough?

_Why?_

-----------

_Location: _Nerima

The sun was shining. The birds were singing. Nary a noise to be heard. People were going about their business, happy as could be.

And Phibrizzo's arrival had upstaged everything.

His teleportation to the Nerima District had accidentally startled Ranma into jumping backwards...right into someone carrying a glass of ice water. Tatewaki Kuno had caught sight of her immediately afterwards, and the following matchup resulted in the kendoist getting booted into the sky...or would've, if Shampoo hadn't decided to make her presence known by jumping her bicycle off a roof, and _smack_ into the airborne Kuno. The Amazon's indignant attack resulted in Kodachi, who had been preparing for another attack against "that redhaired haridan", getting flattened by her own brother.

So not only was Kodachi locked in battle against Shampoo, but Mousse was furiously trying to browbeat Ranma---using everything, not just the kitchen sink---for attacking her.

No one noticed Phibrizzo slipping away in the confusion, relieved that it was business as usual.

Just because he couldn't indulge in other peoples' anger didn't mean he couldn't enjoy the chaos it brought; it _was_ why he liked going here, after all. However, he didn't like it when the chaos was brought to _him_; while he was en route to Ucchan's for an okonomiyaki as per normal scheduling, he asked Inuyasha to keep his ears open for anyone who wanted to get him involved. Normally, he wasn't bothered.

_Normally._

Halfway to his destination, the routine underwent a sudden change. "Oi, Phibrizzo," Inuyasha spoke up suddenly. "You've got incoming!"

Acting impulsively, Phibrizzo's arm whipped out and snagged a nearby telephone pole, allowing him to Rocket out of the way of a pair of incoming feet. Whoever it was bounded off the ground where he'd been just a moment before and somersaulted onto a nearby roof, turning to face his (or her) target.

Phibrizzo let go of the pole and dropped to the ground, muttering to himself for a bit before speaking aloud. "I hate being snuck up on as much as the next person. What's going on?"

The person, identified as the one who had shouted an enthusiastic greeting at Furinkan High earlier (although the trio didn't know that), giggled excitedly. "So, you're the little boy that's gained my Elder's attention? Maybe I ought to look at this a bit differently."

"I thought _Ranma_ was the chaos magnet around here," Curtis said, keeping an eye on his programs. "Shouldn't the girls be chasing after _him?_"

Phibrizzo grimaced after hearing both statements. While the girl could've been referring to anyone, there was only one person he knew of that treated the word "elder" as if it were a title. "Mind looking in a _different_ direction instead of right at me? I didn't do anything to deserve that."

"Hee-hee... You're very funny," the teenage girl chirped, eyes shining. "Thing is, I can't leave until I've seen what I want to see. Understand me, kiddo?"

A shake of the head, and an accompanying glare. "I understand. That doesn't mean I want you to start a showdown when all I want to do is get a bite to eat."

"What's wrong? The food will still be there in ten minutes."

"How does _she_ know?" Inuyasha growled to himself. Phibrizzo, thinking similar thoughts, asked the newcomer as much.

"Because I'll be the one paying for it." The girl took a fighting stance that the part-human had seen Shampoo assume once or twice; as one, a warning bell rang in each of the trio's minds. "A meal on me if you win, and you'll never see me again after that. If you lose, all that means is that you're the one paying for it. Is that alright?"

Disgusted, Phibrizzo prepared himself for a fight; the way the girl carried herself and acted told him that he wouldn't be left off the hook. "Fine, whatever," he said with resignation, cracking his knuckles and making sure his reserves (just in case) were still mostly intact. "Mind telling me who you are? That is, if you _have_ a name."

This turned out to be a bad move on his part; the girl immediately went from a battle stance to a heroic pose, looking like something out of the Masked Yaiba show. "A girl from a faraway land, come to hone her skills in the martial arts and prove herself worthy of her father's legacy! Watch yourself, for you face the Haunt Fox, Aldonza Caretti!"

"..." Pure silence on Phibrizzo's part.

A mild frown. "What? My name's not _that_ ear-catchy."

"It wasn't that. It's just that I was expecting something related to physical hygiene and cleanliness... like Spuhn Gi, or Cur Ler... or maybe Whas Cloh."

One of Aldonza's eyebrows twitched. "You figured out where my allegiances lie that quick?"

"I'd seen one of the local Amazons take that same stance," Phibrizzo answered, noting several bystanders but deciding that they had the mind not to interfere. "Wasn't too hard. Now, are we going to fight or stand around and discuss the weather some more?"

Aldonza smiled, this time mirthlessly, and sprung off the roof to try and stomp him again; this left no doubt that she was in full agreement.

-------

A safe distance away, far enough not to distract the two fighters but close enough to have a decent view, Shampoo maintained a quiet vigil. As much as she would've liked to be off trying to convince Ranma that the "Kitchen Destroyer" and Ukyo Kuonji weren't worthy of his time, Cologne had ordered her to watch and make sure that Aldonza had lived up to her expectations of the tribe. She had nothing against the other girl, and even wished her the best in life should she succeed, but privately she knew where her priorities were.

Shampoo watched Phibrizzo absorb and dodge some of the punishment that Aldonza was dealing out. Not for the first time, and unaware that his mother was pondering her son's chosen path, she wondered why the boy thought the way he did. Generally, if an out-of-towner didn't have anything to do with the Saotomes and Tendos, they stayed as far away as they could from the district. There was the occasional exception to this, but they didn't stick around long.

"Small boy too mysterious," she said to herself in Japanese. "Much too easy-going for Nerima. Nice on outside, but maybe have bad thoughts on inside?"

"Mmmffh."

"Maybe more beneath the surface. Could be fierce monster come to bring destruction to the world... or could be fierce monster just come to have fun. Kind of hard to tell."

"Mmmmfffhh."

A hand went to Shampoo's chin in thought as she watched Aldonza duck past Phibrizzo's defenses and lay into him with a flurry of punches and kicks that were borderline Amaguriken speed. Most of these were shrugged off, and the self-proclaimed Haunt Fox had to step back to avoid the retaliatory uppercut that followed. "Physical defense seems really high... honorary sister probably figured that out now. Rubber-like body withstand impacts. Maybe water really bad where he come from? Who knows?"

"Mmffhhhh!"

Shampoo took a quick look over her shoulder, where a very frustrated Kodachi was implanted in the roof while hogtied with multiple gymnastics ribbons; where Kuno's "twisted sister" kept them was anyone's guess. "Keep down. Shampoo trying to concentrate."

Only a muffled retort answered her.

-------

There was no shortage of tales and stories in Japan. The country had more than its fair share of legends, some of which were obviously false but others which were very much true. The story of the original beckoning cat, for instance, was one which held true in Sylvia's mind (it was one of the reasons why she agreed to keep French Vanilla).

None of the legends that were true had spoke of monsters and demons visiting the world; there were other creatures involved, of course, but none of them could come close in comparison. On the whole, everyone was happy to let stories be stories and go about their lives, worrying about their own problems.

The revelation that Phibrizzo was once a being intent on a planet's destruction had shaken Sylvia's intent to do just that. Maybe the tales here in her land of birth were too good to be true, but there was nothing that said that other worlds didn't exist beyond those that had been scientifically discovered... or beyond the very borders of the universe itself. That very evening (after a round of her favorite video games, of course), she decided that she wanted to learn more.

Sylvia had been wondering why Phibrizzo lived his chosen life. Having found the time to dwell on things, she realized that the conversation that she'd had with him just last night had already answered her question...

------------

_(Cue flashback)_

Phibrizzo, as always, was stretched out on his bed and staring at the ceiling when she'd found him after dinner. He'd originally planned on hanging out with Conan, but she'd learned from him that he and the Moores were involved with another case.

She had never seen him actually _doing_ anything whenever he wasn't touring Tokyo, hanging out with his friends, or visiting his sister. She'd tried asking him if he wanted to play video games with her, but he'd politely refused and retired to his room. He had none of the toys or knickknacks that kids liked to play with, thinking of himself as too old for those things. _Well, maybe that's true,_ she thought, _but he should at __**least**__ look to be playing the part._

When Phibrizzo didn't react to her arrival, she had to snap her fingers once or twice before he finally looked up. "Oh...sorry," he muttered, sounding more annoyed at himself than at her. "What do you need?"

"Nothing, really," Sylvia assured him, sitting on the edge of the bed. "I was just wondering if you'd be willing to talk to me for a bit."

"What about?"

"Well, it's about this life that you led before," Sylvia said, noticing her stepchild flinch a little. "I know that you had other things going at the time, but surely you weren't completely preoccupied with them."

Phibrizzo looked at her for a few moments, uncertain, before returning his stare to the ceiling. "Much of it isn't for the faint of heart," he admitted. "We were mazoku, and we weren't generally known for being 'nice'---"

"Not that," Sylvia interrupted, sitting at the foot of Phibrizzo's bed. "I should've phrased that better. ...What I mean is, do you have any interesting stories that you've heard in passing? Anything that wasn't relevant to the situation at hand but was good enough to be stored away for future reference?"

It was probably her imagination, but she could've sworn that she'd seen Phibrizzo's eyes turn from pure green to a dim yellow. "More family stuff, I suppose," he murmured. "It's incredibly rare for a human and a mazoku to get along. Our first impulse, if it doesn't involve outright killing them, is to lead them by the noses only so far before discarding them like trash."

Sylvia nodded, frowning, but kept silent as Phibrizzo continued. "You've met Dolphin already. Our other 'sister', Zelas, is more like a wolf than a fish: a very fierce predator, the scheming type. She kept a few humans around as slaves and whimpering lackeys, but her fondness for them wasn't much greater than mine.

"One day, while personally investigating rumors that a piece of Lord Ruby Eye's order-oriented counterpart had reemerged, she met up with this girl who was telling off her younger sister for something. She must've been made of some rather stern stuff, because after her sister left, the two of them stared eye to eye at each other for several minutes without so much as twitching. Zelas knew that this was the person she was looking for, and she was prepared to annihilate her without hesitation. The human? After the staredown, she just asked if she wanted the mutton stew or the spiced chicken."

Sylvia's audible amusement at this was infectious; soon, Phibrizzo was smirking as well. Her curiosity wasn't sated yet, though. "So, what happened?"

"Zelas was impressed with her; she had stared death in the face and inquired what it wanted for dinner. Under most circumstances they'd be fighting each other, since they were supposed to be mortal enemies. But since the girl's allegiance seemed to take second place to her waitressing--- and because my sister was in the mood for meat and booze---she let things slide.

"They never became friends in the truest sense, but they never tried to rip each other apart either. They've hung out several times since then; once, they even went as far as to track me down just so they could have me decide who was better at brass rackets."

Sylvia nodded, then blinked at the unfamiliar term. "Brass rackets?"

"That world's version of tennis," Phibrizzo clarified. "Knockdowns are allowed."

"Sounds violent." Sylvia decided that she wasn't interested in knowing more about that particular sport. "And what was your opinion of it? The idea that they would get along, I mean?"

Phibrizzo raised an eyebrow at the question, then paused to decide what he wanted to say. "I didn't like it," he finally spoke after a minute or so. "I was still in my 'humans are worthless' phase at the time, and I was even more angry when I found out what sort of power the human girl had. They didn't give me much choice, though; Zelas wasn't quite as strong as me, but it still wouldn't have been worth the trouble to get into a fight with her."

Sylvia had the feeling that he was leaving something out; he almost looked as if he were going to say something else for a moment, and his expression had a somewhat haunted look to it. She didn't push the issue, instead trying something else. "What about now?" she asked, arching an eyebrow. "You still think humans are worthless?"

"They're the dominant species on this world," said Phibrizzo, not meeting her eyes. "I'm the one that's different here. Do I have a right to complain?"

"That's not what I asked," Sylvia said, shaking her head. "You've been here for a few months now, and you've likely been watching the world during that time. What's more is that you've willingly spent time with humans, both close to your physical age and not. What do you think?"

Phibrizzo didn't answer, pushing himself up and sitting on one of his pillows. He stared down at the bed, the haunted look still in place, and didn't look up for a few minutes. Sylvia was tempted to wave a hand in front of his face to see if he would respond to that, but decided that sort of behavior would be a bit less _mature_ than what she needed to portray. At the same time, she had one or two things she wanted to do before going to bed, and this conversation didn't look to be going anywhere. "You don't have to answer the question right away," she offered as she got off the bed. "We can always talk about this another time." She took a few slow paces towards the door---

"I don't know."

Sylvia paused as she heard those words, turning back to face him and waiting for him to expand on that. Eventually, he did. "I've spent too long scheming, too much time trying to deceive people... it was second-nature to me from the time I was created. Even now, it's so deeply ingrained that it would mess with my judgement if I tried to tell you the truth. Not even a sickening feeling from the thought of it would stop that."

He looked up at her, his eyes angry but determined. "I can't give you an answer to that question right now. I need to see for myself what humans are like. There's more to them than the pain, suffering, and anguish that has become synonymous with them... but the thing is, I need to convince my brain of that. You understand what I'm saying?"

Sylvia stared at Phibrizzo, putting her own words together. "I don't claim to understand what evil is." A thin smile. "But for now, I wouldn't worry about it too much. Just take your time, dear."

This seemed to settle him for now; Phibrizzo laid back down, not looking as brooding as he'd been a few moments ago. His 'mother' decided that now was as good a time as any to take her leave, silently making plans to make his life with her and Marcus a bit more enjoyable. _There has to be some sort of toy or game out there that he would like... maybe an RPG of some sort? A few of them do seem vaguely similar to his previous environment..._

She paused in mid-step. For the briefest of moments, Sylvia thought she had heard something spoken from Phibrizzo's room. She turned briefly, wondering if she should double-check on him, then changed her mind and stepped down the stairs. Whatever it was, it could wait for later; Marcus was due home soon.

_(End flashback)_

------

_There's a lot to see in the world, both good and bad,_ Sylvia decided. _The things that help other people are balanced by those that would do harm. He's searching for those good things, having experienced and caused others to experience the darker side of life. He's still finding his way in this world... I don't think he knows what he's going to do after he finishes school. As free-spirited as he is, I doubt he could be held to any job in particular._

_Maybe I should get in contact with _her. Sylvia shuddered momentarily, not liking the thought, but pressed on. _When we were both in high school, she was even more free-spirited as Phibrizzo is now and didn't let the trials of life put a damper on things. Maybe she has some advice that she can give... and hopefully, she's managed to calm down some after all these years. She always _was_ more of an associate than a friend._

That settled, she got up and walked out of the room towards the telephone. Waiting patiently for a few moments, she was rewarded with the sound of a familiar voice. Smiling, she greeted the recipient in turn. "I'm just as surprised to be talking to you, too. ...Yes, I'm doing fine." Her smile became a mite sad. "You're some months late... he died months ago. But, enough of that... and it's nice to hear you're fine too. Would you pipe down a moment? ...Thank you. Now, if you have a few minutes, Ms. Yukari, would you mind hearing me out on this?..."

------

_"Ho!"_

Phibrizzo ducked his head to avoid having it punted into the sky (and more than likely taking him with it). His battle with Aldonza thus far had been frustrating; while he wasn't taking any serious hits thanks to his genetics, the Amazon-in-training wasn't taking any hits, period. Trying to resume his attack, he fueled his foot with his internal furnace and got into position for a heel drop.

_"Ha ha!"_

Aldonza caught his ankle just above the enflamed area with one hand; Phibrizzo noticed that her grip was unnaturally tight. He didn't have time to think about this further when another kick caught him in a certain area below his stomach; since said area was missing, however, his recovery time was short enough for him to "return fire" (so to speak) quickly.

_"Duck!"_

The girl stooped down, manuevering around a Gum Gum Pistol and trying to deliver an uppercut with her free hand. Punching it aside with his own free fist, Phibrizzo pulled his ankle free and tried to nail Aldonza from behind with the snapback from his failed Pistol attack...

_"Turn!"_

...Only for her to turn aside, letting the fist fly unimpeded back to its starting point. Phibrizzo spun around almost immediately and lashed out with his foot, too low for it to be easily grabbed.

_"Parry!"_

Aldonza easily deflected the kick with one of her own, then pushed off with her other leg and flipped, trying to catch him in the chin. Phibrizzo took the hit, but instead of falling backwards as was the norm, he jerked his head back forward with the intention of catching the self-named Haunt Fox with a headbutt.

_"Spin!"_

The manuever was for naught as she twisted away, an inch ahead of him. Phibrizzo's eyes widened momentarily as his face said hello to Aldonza's palm; the _slap_ that echoed through his chamber made Inuyasha wince at some memory or another. Grimacing, the half-mazoku focused a little of his firepower into his hand and took a swipe at the teen's knee.

_"Ha!"_

Aldonza hopped away just in time, noting that his fingers had burned clear through the bottom hem of her pant leg without setting it ablaze. Charging forward before Phibrizzo could follow up on his attack, she prepped herself for a full-speed Amaguriken assault that would end the fight the best way she knew how: by launching him into the lower atmosphere.

_"Thrust!"_

Just as the first set of punches came flying in, Phibrizzo's hand shot inside her guard...and Aldonza staggered back, forced to abort her attack as her hand went straight to her nose. "No fair, no fair," she whined, her voice sounding funny. "That was a cheap shot!"

"Like you're one to talk," Phibrizzo uttered, checking for any injuries out of habit and pleased when none of them were beyond superficial. "If you have to resort to attacking certain areas of a person's body just to gain an advantage, don't complain to me about fighting dirty."

"Oh, hush," Aldonza snarled, dropping the happy-go-lucky look that she'd kept on her face since she'd made herself known at Furinkan High. "It's not like there were any rules in place. And the standard ways of dealing a blow don't work well with you, so I had to at least try."

A shake of the head. "Ch. Give me a break. This whole fight is one big rules violation. Last I looked, you weren't allowed to bring two extra digits to these outings."

"... ...So you finally noticed, did you?"

"What do you mean 'finally?'" Phibrizzo folded his arms. "That grip you used when you caught my heel kick a minute ago was a bit tighter than it should've been. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what was causing the extra pressure."

Aldonza slowly lowered her hand from her face. Inuyasha blinked, leaning forward in his chamber; sure enough, there was a fifth finger on her hand. What normally would've been her pinky finger was roughly a centimeter longer than what was normal, and the extra digit next to it was about the length of a _normal_ pinky. The addition of that finger made for an absurdly shaped hand... both of them.

A half minute went by as each person's mind stewed over this development. The would-be Amazon finally broke the silence, heaving a long sigh. "Well, I've seen all I've needed to see. I should be going. Elder Cologne's gonna have kittens over this when she finds out."

----

From her vantage point, Shampoo wondered why she suddenly felt the urge to jump over there and smack somebody for making a stealth pun.

----

"Hold up a moment," Phibrizzo said, stopping Aldonza before she could turn around. "I don't get this whole thing about 'talking with your fists', and honestly I think it's ridiculous. What I'd like to know is, what's your connection with the Project?"

Her muscles stiffened. "The Project?" she asked warily.

A nod. "The Project. Or to be more specific, Clandestine DNA."

"...Dare I ask how you found out about it?" Aldonza inquired, hoping it wasn't as bad as she suspected.

"I fought against someone recently who gained increased strength and mobility as a direct result of the Project." Phibrizzo's eyes narrowed. "I wasn't told much about it, but I was under the impression that it took place decades ago. On the other hand, you don't look a day past seventeen years."

Aldonza stared at him long and hard for several seconds, altering her assessment of him. She'd heard of child prodigies; she knew that she probably would've been one of them if life's course had permitted her. No child spoke like this, however; but she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of an advantage over her. "Kid, I don't need to tell you anything." She held up a hand to keep him from continuing. "I'm on a tight schedule, and I have things I need to do. I'm not gong to sit around and tell you my life story when I could be securing my ticket home."

"Oh, c'mon. Not even a few little sentences?"

"No."

"No hint?"

"No hint. Forget it." Aldonza's smile returned with a vengeance as she walked up to him, handing him the money for his meal that she had promised. "You'll just have to find the hints on your own, if you're as smart as you're implying. 'Kay, Phibby-chan?"

With nothing else to do or say, she turned and jumped up to the nearest roof, desiring to take a shortcut back to the Nekohanten. _Hopefully,_ she mused on the way, _the information I ascertained will be enough for Elder Cologne to allow me to return home... I've been gone way too long, and my friends are probably getting impatient waiting for me._

-------

"... ... ..."

Inuyasha frowned as he watched Aldonza depart; that encounter was a bit too strange for his tastes, and it didn't help that the scent she left in her wake reminded him too much of Shippo. Added to that was Curtis's complete silence following the girl's introduction; it was corny, sure, but it wasn't _that_ corny.

"... ... ..."

The view outside seemed to darken a little.

"She..."

Annoyed, Inuyasha jumped to his feet and started pacing back and forth. "She what?" he asked irritably. "Spit it out!"

"She..."

"...Well?" Curtis asked, finally getting over whatever it was that was keeping him from talking to his host. "What happened?"

It took a bit more blackness before they realized what was going on: Phibrizzo's dark flames had manifested themselves as a battle aura. **"She... she called me **_**PHIBBY-CHAN!"**_

Both chambers rattled as the surprised occupants fell to the floor.

--------

"...So, that's the conclusion that you reached?"

Aldonza just nodded. After returning to the Elder's restaurant, she had told Cologne every detail of the encounter and resulting fight. Nothing was left out, from the littlest spoken word to the blazing aura that she'd felt shortly after she left. Shampoo had arrived shortly after she began, and was on hand to back up her words.

When they were finished, Cologne was troubled; it wasn't as bad as the situation made it out to be, but the facts themselves didn't lie. "So... that's how it is," she murmured. "The way he acts is that of someone out of place in society. He is privy to details that children should not be allowed to hear..."

Both of the younger warriors gazed at their Elder, worried. "What wrong, great-grandmother?" Shampoo was the first to ask.

Cologne stared them in the eyes unnervingly. "I have believed for a while that Phibrizzo wasn't human. Everything she said points to him as being a potential terror, a supernatural creature without any qualms against doing harm. He could burn this district to the ground in his fury, if he were so inclined."

The room was silent a bit longer. To the surprise of them both, Cologne's visage became a bit softer. "But he hasn't. There seems to be a lot going on inside his mind, thanks to Inuyasha and Curtis; it's been implied that they are keeping his powers in check, and I have sensed that Phibrizzo is trying to think more of others than of himself. If they continue to keep a close watch on him, maybe we need not fear him at all."

"Good," Shampoo said, smiling. "Small boy make things interesting; not interfere in pursuit of Airen. Will do just fine."

"I agree," Aldonza chirped. "He _is_ really cute when he gets all emo---OW!"

"Glad to hear he meets with your approval," Cologne commented dryly, lowering her walking stick from Aldonza's forehead. "Now then..." She took a moment to switch languages, speaking in her native Mandarin. "Aldonza Nanette Caretti... as a representative of the Amazon Council and on behalf of the tribe, I hereby deem the conditions of your father's agreement with us..._fulfilled._ You may return to your homeland with our blessings, as long as you promise to come to our aid should troubled times befall us."

A delighted squeal was Cologne's only warning before Aldonza leapt onto a table, doing some sort of bizarre dance that had become popular as of late. Sweatdropping, Shampoo looked on for a few seconds before whispering to Cologne in Mandarin: "Great-grandmother, as much as I'm happy for her, wouldn't just saying 'you can go now, good-bye' be a lot easier on our minds?"

"Now, now, child," Cologne chided her, chuckling. "When you become as old as I, you take your amusement where you can get it."

Unwilling to argue with that, but still nonplussed at Aldonza's behavior, Shampoo remained quiet.

-----

Sylvia's conversation with her former school associate had been more helpful than she had first planned. Yukari always was an oddball, and the years hadn't changed her personality much. After explaining her situation (while leaving out the details of Phibrizzo's origins) and asking for ideas, Sylvia was pleasantly surprised when Yukari complied with her request. The conversation that followed lasted for most of Phibrizzo's absence.

When Phibrizzo came home, he was surprised to see that her usual gentle smile had given way to a cat-eating-canary grin. "So... what happened?" he asked nervously, unsure what it meant. "You didn't just find out that you're about to have another kid, did you?"

"No, no," Sylvia said, her smile not wavering despite the audacity of the question. "I'm just wondering if you'd like to talk more about your life back home, after dinner."

Somewhere in the back of his mind, a siren began ringing. "Um, why?"

"I'm curious." That smile _really_ wasn't helping anything. "I want you to tell me as much as you can before your bathtime. And don't skimp on the details." She stuffed a scrap of paper into her pocket and walked past him, putting her shoes on at the door.

"Well... you sure you really want to know?" Phibrizzo stared at her apprehensively, shoving aside his shoes absent-mindedly. "Like I said, it's not exactly suitable for children---"

"Compared to you I may be a child," Sylvia interrupted as she slowly turned back around. Her grinning face disappeared en route, and was replaced by a visage that---to Phibrizzo---was half Soun Tendo, half Lina Inverse. "But in this world I am, above all things, a _parent!_ **GOT IT?!"**

Phibrizzo reflexively recoiled and held up his hands; this was a side of her that she hadn't exhibited in the few months that he'd been here. "Okay, okay, okay! Fine! Storytime after dinner! I got it! Yeah! Sure! Eh heh heh heh..."

With an ease that was disturbing to consider, Sylvia's demeanor switched gears again. "Thank you, dear," she said, once more smiling widely. "Can I trust you to hold down the fort here until I get back from the store?"

A blink. "Huh? Now?"

"Something came up, so I need to grab a few things. Do you mind having take-out again tonight?"

"I guess I don't..."

"Great. Don't go anywhere, okay? I should be back before Marcus's program starts." Sylvia smiled at Phibrizzo, then left the house and hurried off at a mildly fast clip.

It took a few seconds for him to recover long enough to shut and lock the door. "Did that... just happen?"

"You're the child around here, not us," Inuyasha said, shaking his head. "You tell me."

"You see what was written on that paper?" Curtis inquired from his chair. "I couldn't get a good enough look from here."

Inuyasha was quiet for a few seconds before replying. "Something... something supplies, how-to... something or other." He shook his head again. "Again, bad angle."

Phibrizzo went over to sit down in Sylvia's favorite chair, mind still a bit numb from a moment ago. "I guess... we'll be finding out when she gets back, will we?"

"Yeah."

"Uh-huh."

Beat.

"So, Curtis... there something wrong with you?"

"Not anything more than the usual, Phibrizzo. Why?"

"We didn't hear a peep out of you during that fight earlier." The half-mazoku stared at the blank television, frowning. "No commentary, no smart-mouth remarks, nothing."

Curtis gave his chamber's camera an innocent look. "Would you believe that I was shocked into absolute silence?"

Inuyasha glared in his general direction, but their host beat him to the verbal punch. "What for? Don't mistake this for caring, but that's not like you at all."

The trio's pure human didn't reply.

"Well?" Inuyasha urged. "What's the deal?"

"Would you be satisfied with a simple 'I know that girl'? I don't think now's a good time to talk about it."

This time, both of the others were struck silent by the implications. As of yet there wasn't any way to separate the three, so Curtis couldn't have met her elsewhere. That meant...

"She's from your world, isn't she?" Phibrizzo was the first to ask. "It's the only thing that really makes sense."

"Well, sort of."

"'Sort of'?" Inuyasha growled. "C'mon! Is she, or isn't she?"

"Yes... and no," Curtis explained hesitantly. "Could we please not talk about it? It's like she said before, it's not like we'll be seeing her again."

"You can be frustrating to deal with sometimes, you know that?" Inuyasha grumbled, reclining on his side. "This one's going to be bugging us for a while, and that's the best you can give?"

Curtis just shrugged helplessly.

Sighing as his 'parasites' quieted down, Phibrizzo dismissed Curtis's strange behavior from his mind and focused more on his mother's. _Why on this world or the other was she acting like that?_ he asked himself. _And here I thought I was making some headway on figuring out how humans acted around each other... why is she so curious about my past? Doesn't she know that those things are better left private?_

Of course, no answers were waiting for him.

--------------

_Location:_ Unknown

_Time:_ Four hours later

All was quiet. Down below, the city's night life went about their business without caring---or noticing--- the winged shape that was flying overhead. It was much too noisy for them to hear it, anyway.

A Pidgeot soared through the skies, racing as fast as it could without dislodging its passenger. Seated on the giant bird's back was the would-be Amazon who had given Phibrizzo a good degree of difficulty, a grin on her face and joy in her heart. "Finally, finally, finally," she whispered to herself. "Five long years... five long years are finally over! _Hang onto your hats, Johto, because Aldonza Caretti's coming home! Yeeeeeee-haaa!"_

A cry of "Pidg-eeooo!" was all that was left.

--------

_Chapter Twenty-Two concluded. Chapter Twenty-Three soon to commence_

Author's Notes

I'm back in action! Recall at the end of the last chapter that I said I wouldn't be working on this much anymore due to having a job? In an unexpected twist, it's _because_ I have a job that I'm able to continue writing. I won't bore you with the details. ^_^

Aldonza Caretti is my own creation, based on someone I'd originally developed for other purposes some years before starting the story. Her moniker, the "Haunt Fox", is based on a six-toed fox that appeared in a fictional nature book of the same name.

This is my take on the fanon relationship between Zelas and Luna Inverse. Sure, it's not entirely plausible, but who am I to discard an amusing idea?

Yes, that person Sylvia's speaking to on the phone is probably who you think it is. Don't be too excited, though; that's as far as the crossover's going to get.

Okay, let's see if Chapter 23 gets here a little quicker...


	39. Chapter Twenty Three

*WHAT* INSERTION?

by Curtis Wildcat

_Chapter Twenty-Three: _Family Bonds and Sleepless Nights

**(Cue theme)**

They were everywhere.

Monsters the likes of which he had never seen in the thousands of years he'd been alive. Energies that swirled around him, threatening to devour him. Words that led him along by the nose, then went in for the kill.

He had gone into this building for reasons unknown to him, searching for something that he had not known the identity of... and then they attacked, chasing him into the deepest reaches of the facility, which had seemed to stretch on forever. More of them had come, never giving him a moment's peace.

Finally he had taken refuge on top of a large bookshelf, frantically swinging around a large hammer that he'd found on someone's unconscious body. That was nowhere near enough to turn the tide, and he was finally submerged beneath the wave of shadowy figures. As the last vestiges of light disappeared, he finally made out some details on them... and it filled him with all the dread that he had ever felt in his life and then some, even as the crowd gave voice to a single declaration:

"_**I am Sailor Amelia, and in the name of Seyruun, I will punish you!"**_

_**

* * *

**Time:_ April 30, 1996, 12:07a.m.

A stifled shriek, a flash of lightning, and Phibrizzo was finally awake. He looked around him frantically, then finally let his eyes settle on the couch as he reassured himself that it had all been some wacked-out nightmare. _That settles it...I am never entering a manga shop again. It's been several days, and still it haunts me._

"What drove you to do that, anyway?" Inuyasha snarled grumpily; the scream had woken him up out of a sound snooze. "And what's with the racket?"

_I was curious, alright?_ Phibrizzo growled back, listening carefully in case his parents had heard the scream... then remembered that they had left town to go on vacation, leaving him to spend the week at the Moore Detective Agency. He got up and stared out the window at the thunderstorm that was rolling through the neighborhood. _They didn't have an industry like it back where I was from._

"I'm surprised you didn't check it out sooner," Curtis remarked as he sat in his chamber, playing what seemed to be some sort of archaic baseball game on the television.

_Picture books never interested me before. Of course, they aren't really picture books in the truest sense, but... well, whatever. You know what I mean._

April 29th-yesterday-was the start of the Golden Week, a chain of holidays (both national and otherwise) strung together like links on a swing. Not having much interest in them, only caring that Teitan Elementary's doors were closed during that span of time, Phibrizzo had immediately warped to Cerulean City after breakfast to bug Dolphin and get some training in for Sunburst and Arcanine. However, his sister and Misty were both busy preparing for their next Water Show, and any hopes of getting some training time in were dashed by a battle-craving trainer.

With that no longer an option, Phibrizzo next teleported back to the agency to see what Conan and Rachel were up to, only to find the both of them out and about somewhere. Muttering about the number of cases that they and Richard Moore were getting involved in as of late and not really caring about the circumstances of their absence, he decided to make a jaunt over to Professor Agasa's place to bother Ai... and found that they, too, were busy with other matters. Giving up on others' company, he spent a little of his remaining allowance money to see a monster movie that was premiering this week ('_Let's see what the human imagination can come up with' _was his rationale for doing so).

By the time the movie was over, he was convinced that the day had been a total loss; not only did he not get anything accomplished, but the movie's focus was nowhere near as scary as the promoters made it out to be. He couldn't understand why people, especially children (he'd seen Mitch, Amy, and George sitting halfway across the theater, but made no move to join them), flocked to see them.

After exiting the theater, he was greeted with sheets of rain that dropped down from the sky. The thunderstorm that it grew into kept him-and, by extension, Inuyasha-from doing anything worthwhile after dinner, conversations with Conan and Rachel notwithstanding, so he wasted his energy on a few quick teleports and settled in for what should've been a good night's sleep.

_So much for that idea,_ he grumbled as he stared up at the ceiling, wondering why no one was rushing to investigate why he'd shrieked. Maybe it just hadn't been loud enough, or else the group was really out of it. Either way, he didn't mind; he wasn't in any real mood to explain to them the dream's contents, strange as they were. Not for the first time, he decided that it was a good thing that he opted not to sleep upstairs with the others.

Nearby on Richard's desk, Phibrizzo's cell phone began vibrating. He blinked at it, unamused. _Thought I'd shut that thing off,_ he groused quietly before picking it up and answering it. "Hello?"

"You're having trouble sleeping too, huh?" Ai's voice, lined with static, murmured over the phone; the weather outside was having fun messing with the signal.

"More of a bad dream than the storm," Phibrizzo grumbled quietly. "What's _your_ excuse, Hailey? Why are you calling at this hour?"

"General insomnia. Everything I've been learning about recently is keeping me awake," Ai told him, keeping her voice low so as not to disturb the sleeping Agasa. "Between the information on Pokémon and the biological data that Miss Fitzgerald decrypted, it's taking some time for it to settle."

_Biological data...oh, right. The Clandestine DNA files that she took from the Black Organization before she was caught. Either their security's getting lax, or... _Phibrizzo's eyes opened a little bit wider as he focused on the conversation. "Talk to me, then. Anything of note on that last one?"

"A couple things," Ai admitted. "I found the entries for both Aisha June's mother and Arnold Long like you asked. Miss June was quietly abducted as a teenager to take part in the project, although it didn't seem like it to her at the time; she thought she was being treated fairly. Mr. Long was in his early twenties at the time and joined of his own free will while visiting from the United States, apparently to pay off some loans." There was a short pause, and Phibrizzo could actually imagine the shrunken scientist shaking her head. "It doesn't say what happened to them afterwards, or what kind of changes they underwent. The information on the test subjects was all in the journal's final entry."

"..._Final_ entry?" asked Phibrizzo curiously, laying back on the couch.

"Yes. May 28, 1974. Far as I can determine, the explosion that put an end to the Project was only a few days later, claiming the genius's life and leaving the rest to pick up the pieces."

A quiet nod as the former dark lord absorbed this fact. "You said there were a 'couple things'. What else was there?"

"It was a bit curious, but a bit suspicious too," said Ai. "One of the entries for another test subject had been erased."

"Erased? By who-the Organization?"

"Erased data in an encrypted file?" Ai scoffed disbelievingly. "They may be paranoid, but they're not clairvoyant; they didn't know that someone outside of their grasp would break the protection the way Miss Fitzgerald did. If they didn't want to keep something, they would've just gotten rid it altogether." A pause. "It's like I was told last week: those documents were supposed to be for the eyes of only the boss and those he deemed worthy. He likely had his reasons for keeping them stored away."

Phibrizzo's eyes narrowed. "Someone outside, then. Someone who didn't want anyone to find out who he or she was."

"That's how I figure it." Another short pause. "It's not really my business, though. I'm not involved in any of this, and you've told me several times that you're not descended from any of the test subjects, anyway. My primary concern is _keeping alive._ How do you know that they're not going to go back on their word and try to asassinate me or my sister?"

"If they're smart, they won't."

Phibrizzo jerked in surprise; while he'd been busy listening to Haibara, Inuyasha had entered Curtis's chamber and claimed his microphone for himself. _Blast it, dog-breath, don't startle me like that!_

There was some confusion on Ai's part. "...Who is this? Would you get off the line, please?"

"Oh, come on, _kid_," came the smug reply. "You mean you've forgotten what it was like to be rescued from death's door? That should've stuck with you."

"...Inuyasha?" Ai's lowered voice indicated that she was just as surprised as Phibrizzo had been a few moments before; she hadn't known the voice, but she'd known the tone. "How did you..." A pause. "Never mind. Just tell me what you mean."

"There's nothing they have in their arsenal that can hurt me, and they know it," the hanyou reminded her, smirking. "They know that if anything happened to either of you, they'd be due for a beatdown."

There was silence on the other end of the line. "..."

"Vigilantism isn't accepted here, from what I know," Inuyasha continued. "I'm already pushing things as it is, even with the people I help being nice about it. You may have noticed from the news that I haven't done anything more with this sword than scare people and slice up weapons with it." His eyes narrowed. "Because of that, no one knows what I can really do. Those creeps can't believe that this weapon is for show; I don't know him, but Gin seems smarter than that. Until they figure out how to deal with me, their best option is to keep their activities to a minimum and hope I'm nowhere in the area when they're going about their business."

"...I suppose that makes sense," Ai said reluctantly. "Then although my sister still lives in their shadow..."

"...it's when the shadow darkens that things will get ugly," Phibrizzo finished. He smiled. "Really clever for a pretty-boy mutt."

"Who's a mutt, you angsty little firebrat?" Inuyasha snarled, dropping the microphone. There was a brief thud and a burst of feedback as the microphone hit the floor, causing both Curtis and Ai to flinch.

Phibrizzo covered his mouth to keep from laughing, watching inwardly as the white-haired inhabitant fumed and growled. _Nothing like a little humor to ease the dramatic tension, huh?_ he said as Curtis paused his game and shut off the microphone.

"There's probably a story behind that," Ai murmured, amused. "But that will keep for later." As she spoke, there was a flash of lightning from outside that lit up the agency. "Onto the other topic... this whole Pokémon thing. I'm still trying to figure out why I never saw any of them during my tutoring overseas, and why they're rarely ever seen outside those islands."

"Fears of overpopulation, maybe?" Phibrizzo suggested, ignoring the disgruntled Inuyasha as he went back to his chamber. "Or maybe they're just unable to spread their numbers worldwide."

"That first one can't be it." Again, he could imagine Ai's head shaking as she said this. "If it was enough of an issue, word of it would spread around Japan and nearby countries; few people, if any, wouldn't have heard about it. And the second one is a negative; at least one of them is capable of swimming across the ocean on its own power, and I have to believe that there are others that can do that, too."

"I was thinking more about the governments in those islands, actually," said Phibrizzo dryly. "Good point, though-"

"And I'm going to have to say that that theory is off, also," Ai interrupted, not giving him a chance to elaborate. "It's related to what I said a moment ago. If there was recorded information on the physical feats of a certain species, I have to believe that whoever's in charge over there didn't think that keeping their numbers down was that important. Again, word would get out. People everywhere would want to know more about them, children would want to play with them, and foreign markets would be deluged with toys and other media focusing on them." Beat. "No, there's something else at work here, and I intend to find out what."

Several seconds passed before Phibrizzo could answer her, taken back at her reasoning. "...You really _have_ done a lot of reading on this."

"I make it my business to know about things, Phibrizzo," Ai muttered in a "what-you-don't-believe-me?" tone of voice. "What sort of scientist would I be if I weren't knowledgable about my field of work?"

"What sort of scientist are you _now_?" Phibrizzo retorted. "I thought you intended to take care of that thing for Edogawa and yourself."

Ai started to speak, but paused to allow a quiet yawn to escape. "Nothing wrong with idle curiousity. Don't worry too much about it." Another flash of lightning could be seen outside as she spoke.

"I'm really starting to wonder where your priorities are. Forgetfulness is a dangerous enemy, Hailey."

"In which case," Ai coldly informed him, "your fears are unfounded. I haven't forgotten anything; just developing a hobby." She yawned again, and her voice's tone softened to her previous level. "I'm going to have to leave now. I think that conversation was what I needed to cure my insomnia."

"Well, glad to hear that I don't need to keep you awake anymore," was Phibrizzo's sarcastic reply. "Any chance you could prescribe something for me?"

Ai pretended to think about this. "Well, you _could_ just face the wall and smack your head into it as hard as you can. Then you wouldn't have to worry about staying awake anymore."

"...I'm just going to pretend I didn't hear that. Get off the line, please."

"And a 'good night' to you, too," Ai returned. The trio got the impression that she was chuckling softly even as the line silenced itself with a _*click*_.

"A hobby, huh?" Inuyasha said to himself as he leaned against his chamber's back wall. "Good for her."

Phibrizzo stared at the cell phone, muttering to himself in a tongue never spoken on this planet. Finally shutting it off and putting it away, he burrowed beneath his borrowed blanket and curled up the best he could. _I'll need to speak with the engineers,_ he complained. _That girl's sense of humor is in serious need of repair._

"I thought it was kinda funny, myself," Curtis said, baseball game in motion again.

_You would,_ Phibrizzo thought as he felt his mind begin to shut down. _I'm going to try again. Let's see how long this lasts._

_

* * *

_They wouldn't stop talking.

They had met, one on both sides of him, and proceeded to converse. They were born with the same voice, but not the same body. They were well-versed in different subjects and had different personalities, but it didn't stop them from getting along.

"...So, this Gaav you're talking about. He was honestly out to kill you? That sounds familiar."

"You too, huh? Whatever for?"

"For knowing too much. You?"

"Because I was going to be used as a means to an end."

"Sounds harsh, but at least you weren't responsible for one of the most lethal drugs in mankind's history."

"Well, at least you didn't create a spell capable of destroying a planet if mishandled."

"...I wish I had your personality. At least then I could face my fears head-on."

"Heh. You seem to be doing well for yourself. Just keep your head up and keep on going."

He threw his hands up to his ears. "Would the both of you just _shut up?"_

The both of them turned towards him, expressions angry. "You have a lot of nerve, interrupting a conversation between women!" the taller one snarled, gathering energy into her hands.

"If you knew any better, you would just keep your mouth closed and deal with it quietly," the smaller one added, imitating her friend's stance and taking in power.

Then, as if they had rehearsed it, Ai Haibara and Lina Inverse simultaneously blasted him with a wave of raw energy. **"**_**DRAGON...SLAVE!**_**"**

**

* * *

**Once more, Phibrizzo's eyes flew open as pushed himself upright. _Confound it,_ he hissed. _Not again._

"Twenty minutes," Curtis uttered.

_Huh?_

Curtis looked up from his game briefly; as his senses stabilized, Phibrizzo noticed that it was in the later-inning stages. "You managed twenty minutes that time before being woken up. It's about 12:40 now, give or take a minute."

Phibrizzo turned onto his side, glaring out the window; there wasn't any more lightning, but the rain had only lessened a little. One of his hands clenched his blanket. _This is getting me nowhere fast._

"Bad dreams, huh?"

_Terrible ones. Better pray that I don't have to put up with these all night, or someone's going to be this short of ticked off._

Curtis frowned as the player he was controlling struck out. "Someone always has it better than someone else. I'm sure you know that."

_Humor me then, Mr. Potato Body. How is this better than someone else's night?_

"It's better than dreaming the same thing for several months straight."

Phibrizzo thought about this for a bit, his attention diverted from the rain. _And you're positive that you don't dream about anything else?_

"Yeah. What's more is that unlike the standard fare, I'm fully aware of where I am and what I'm doing. That's not supposed to happen, and I'm sure you're tired of hearing me complain about it."

"This night's been full of one mystery after another," Inuyasha spoke up from his chamber. "What a way to spend the time, huh?"

"Not exactly how I'd like to spend it," Curtis admitted. "Returning to the same place each time I enter a deep enough sleep gets monotonous after a while."

The shifting viewpoint from outside got their attention; Phibrizzo was rolling off the couch and onto his feet. _I just can't sleep tonight. It's plain and simple._

"Not much you can do around here," Inuyasha pointed out. "At least, not without waking up your stepfamily or the brat."

Phibrizzo tapped his chin as he pondered an idea. _Curtis, do we have any sweet drinks on hand?_

"Well, we have that soda pop that you never drank from the movie theater," Curtis said, double-checking one of the monitors. "What are you planning?"

A wide smile formed as Phibrizzo padded over to where he'd stashed his day clothes, slipping them on over his pajamas as quietly as he could. _While the day's away, the mazoku will play,_ he said, taking out the soda when he was done. Sipping the drink-careful to take just enough to fuel a teleport and not overload his body's energy supply-he warped away, crossing through Beika and arrowing south of Japan to a place where the storm did not strike.

* * *

_Location:_ Cerulean City Pokémon Center

The Center's main lobby was deserted at this hour, but it didn't stay that way for long as Phibrizzo appeared in a flash of blackness before the counter. He didn't have long to wait before a Chansey looked into the room, checking to see what was the matter.

The pseudo-child smiled. "Don't mean to bother you any, but I'm going to need Sunburst's Poké Ball for the night. Is that alright?"

The Chansey didn't quite like his smile for some reason, but since it was a legitimate request it wasn't as if she could refuse. Within a few minutes she had located the capsule in question and handed it to its trainer, all the while wondering what sort of reason he had for showing up this late at night.

* * *

Inside the Gym, Jetsam was sound asleep in one corner of the main auditorium. Once more she had devoted her entire focus to the Water Show, and once again Dolphin was happy with how things had turned out. Tomorrow she would leave with her trainer to the site of the third Frontier challenge, the Battle Pike, and she knew that she would need all the rest she could handle.

"_Flarrre?"_

Something was nuzzling her forehead. Blinking sleepily, Jetsam found herself looking into the eyes of the creature that she had literally been Attracted to the week before. There was a little card with some text hanging around his neck, but since the Vaporeon couldn't read English, she didn't understand what it said. 'Um, hello,' she said quietly, a bit bothered at being snuck up on but otherwise willing to be friendly. 'Sunburst, what are you doing here?'

'You'd be better off asking Phibrizzo that,' the Flareon replied. 'He took me away from the Center a few minutes ago and told me that he would let me spend the night here.'

'He's strange for a human. Or whatever he is,' Jetsam admitted. 'Anyway, I'm tired, and I'm sure you probably got awakened out of a good rest yourself. You have a good night, okay?'

Sunburst nodded and sat down a few feet away, placing his head on his forepaws and shutting his eyes as his tail wrapped around to cover them. Jetsam stared at him for a few seconds, her eyes shining, then allowed her regularly scheduled sleepiness to return.

* * *

A shadowy figure crept into the gym's kitchen, carefully opening one of the cereal boxes and sprinkling something inside. Snickering malevolently, the figure put the box back in its place and made sure no one was watching him before disappearing with a _snap-hiss._

In her bedroom, unaware of what was due to transpire, Dolphin sat awake and listened to the smooth jazz that was playing over the radio.

* * *

_Location:_ Doctor Agasa's house

Taking another sip of the soda to recover his energy from his last teleportation, Phibrizzo looked around him to make sure he was in the right place. Satisfied, he snuck over to the stairway and put his ears up to it. _Alright, Inuyasha,_ he urged. _Give me the scoop._

Frowning at the phrasing of his request, Inuyasha closed his eyes in order to concentrate. His ears twitched for a few moments. "They're both asleep," he confirmed. "I don't think you even needed me to figure it out; Agasa snores loud enough for both of them."

_And you're positive that Hailey's asleep, also?_

"Didn't I just say that she was?" Inuyasha growled, annoyed.

_Alright, alright. Don't get mad at me right now; I have a job to do._

Stalking quietly into the kitchen and opening the refrigerator a crack, Phibrizzo searched it for any juice that could be consumed at breakfast time. A wicked smile graced his face when he found what he was looking for.

* * *

Back at the Cerulean Gym, unaware that either were in their present position, two Pokémon slept curled up together. The scene would've been fit for a "cute pet" type of photo album... if any of the gym's human inhabitants had been awake.

Having tired of listening to her music a little bit earlier and decided to get in her four hours worth of recovery, Dolphin slept quietly.

* * *

After stashing the remainder of his soda in subspace, wasting some energy on a teleport and taking note of the dwindling rain, Phibrizzo put his day clothes away and climbed back into bed, still chuckling to himself. _Shame that I can't be there to see their reactions._

"Not bad for an hour and a half's work," Curtis commented, still playing his baseball game; he had to be nearing the end of his third nine-inning set by now. "You realize you're going to be in serious trouble when they find out who did it, right?"

_Dolphin I'm not worried about, and Hailey's comical when she gets mad. I keep forgetting how much fun pranking someone can be._ A mental snicker. _Good thing for me that they agreed to watch me instead of going out of town, huh?_

"You sure you want to make your stepparents regret leaving you here?" Inuyasha asked dryly.

A shrug. _I'll cross that bridge when I get there._ A quiet yawn slipped past his lips, and Phibrizzo closed his eyes again. _I'm going to try this again. Time me._

Neither of his parasites bothered to answer him.

* * *

The location was familiar to him: a majestic castle of times long gone, with a staff filled with loyal retainers and relatives. Aides and sentries walked around, going about their business... but he moved on, not caring about them as much as he did his final destination.

A library, filled from top to bottom with books. A study, furnished with a large desk and covered with research materials and vials of ink. He recognized these rooms and knew that he had been there before, even if he couldn't remember any previous visits to this specific part of the castle.

Seated at the desk was a woman, her back to him; dark gray hair concealed her figure from sight. She knew he was coming; as quiet as he was, she had his location pinpointed while he was still ten meters away. Without turning around, she greeted him: "It's been far too long, you of Ruby Eye. Tell me, do you still think I'm a fool?"

A not-so-nice smile. "Yes."

The woman turned to regard him after a few moments' pause, one hand on her chin. Strangely, her face was blurred; he could not make out her expressions no matter how much he focused. "I certainly can't blame you for referring to me as such. Like you've said, only a fool would seek to work the system. But then again, my thinking has never been orthodox."

"Remind me. What were those thoughts?"

"I believe you know." The blurriness vanished, a thin black smile overriding it. "It seems to have netted you circumstances beyond your imagination, has it not, 'young' master?"

Phibrizzo's smile lost its dark edge, becoming more pure. "Much as I don't want to admit it, I guess your twisted ideas were correct after all... Lady Metallia."

Not leaving her chair, the woman bowed to him. "I lived to serve, my master."

* * *

Elsewhere, Dolphin continued to sleep peacefully. Her dreams, if she had any, did not bother her.

The door, which was open a crack, widened just enough for Jetsam to slip inside. She was stumbling a little, and her belly seemed oddly swollen; the card that Sunburst had around his neck earlier was now around hers. The Vaporeon attempted to jump onto Dolphin's bed, succeeding on her second try, and crawled beneath the covers alongside her.

* * *

"I remembered."

"Hmm?"

"What you told me. About your dual nature."

"Ah. Do tell."

"Things happened. My circumstances changed. I was never able to discover your whereabouts after you were sealed away, nor was I able to find a way to that universe again. Those things are beyond my capabilities and reasoning. Would you fill me in?"

Metallia tilted her head, looking a bit amused. "I became angry when I learned that I could never return to commence my service under you. The inability to subsist on the dark side of life drove me mad, steadily depriving me of my physical and mental health. A human mage discovered me, and I lent her some of my power so that she could wipe those who had offended her, and me, from existence. However, this led to her being sealed as well... and eventually, a young Earthling pooled her resources and gathered enough energy to annihilate us."

Her smile turned sad as she continued to speak. "It wasn't until my final seconds that I remembered that compassion is a driving force behind the human mind, something which the mage I'd supported had certainly forgotten about in the heat of the moment. If I hadn't shunned those beliefs, maybe my destruction would not have taken place." She gestured at him. "What about you? Assume I do not know. What transpired after our final meeting?"

Phibrizzo floated on over to her, keeping them at eye level. "A few centuries afterward, following an encounter with _her_ power, I too was exiled to a place from which I could never return. Unlike you, I was able to keep my wits about me with some difficulty. Time has gone on, and while my very name is no longer feared..." He chuckled. "...and is, in fact, considered strange... my regrets have become few. I am now fully prepared to spend the rest of my life 'mingling with the commoners', as you would put it."

The two regarded each other for a while before Metallia spoke what was on both of their minds. "The mighty ones have fallen far, have they not?"

Phibrizzo's eyes narrowed. He smiled darkly, the expression that had once struck fear into the hearts of the three races flaring; even as everything started to dissolve, his eyes did not waver from Metallia's. "Perhaps," he whispered, "but not as far as they think. I will not forget what you told me those long years ago. At least you remembered at your end what it was you left behind. It's up to me, now, to take it and run with it... and to defy those who, believing me dead, once thought they understood me, my motivations, and the limits to my power. Sleep easily, my former servant."

* * *

Curtis double-checked the time. It had been several hours since Phibrizzo had asked him to time how long it would take for him to wake up again, but he'd decided that there wasn't any real point to it now; he seemed out of it for the duration of the night.

He gave a start as his chamber, mostly dark except for the television, glowed a soft gray-almost white-before fading back to its normal state. Wondering for a moment what it was about, Curtis decided not to bother himself with it for now and instead started searching around for another NES game to play.

* * *

Stretching a bit and yawning, Dolphin came awake and stared at her radio's clock. Sunrise wouldn't be for another hour or two, but her body's metabolism would not let her sleep anymore. She reached over and clicked on the radio, which proceeded to fill the bedroom with the sweet sounds of the saxaphone.

_Today's the day,_ she remembered. _There's a trip I need to make to the Battle Pike. I'll also need to stop by Evolution Mountain and see if I can find a Water Stone for Poliwhirl; his strength is satisfactory, I think. And there's also that meeting in the evening with Phibrizzo's aunt Eva... I would've gotten the chance to talk with her months ago if her job hadn't called her away._ She turned around to face the other wall. _I'll need to-_

Something wasn't right. There was something sitting next to her in bed. Dolphin thought at first that it was Jetsam-she liked to sleep alongside her trainer from time to time-but in the darkness, the shape was all wrong. She rested her hand on it, trying to ascertain what it was.

...

In a rush, she suddenly leaped from her bed-scattering the covers-and slapped on the light, turning to face whatever it was that didn't belong. Slowly, though, she relaxed again; it was about half the length of her arm, kinda roundish, and was mostly medium brown with occasional specks of light tan. She steadied herself, breathing a sigh of relief. _Thank goodness; it's just an egg. I was worried that it might've been one of those mechanical talking half-Hoothoots that they've been advertising-_

Something _still_ wasn't right. Eggs just didn't appear out of nowhere. Edging around the bed, Dolphin noticed a card on a chain resting near the egg. Scooping up the card, she read it to herself 'aloud'... and dropped to the floor with a _thump_, staring at it in shock.

_No! This can't... this can't be! I'm not capable of it! This must be someone's sick idea of a joke... it has to be!_

Her head turned towards the egg, then back at the card. _...Is it?_ she asked herself, rereading it silently.

"Congratulations. You're a mother.

-The Drunken Stork"

Again, Dolphin looked at the egg apprehensively. _This can't be happening,_ she moaned mentally. _Why me? This goes beyond the human masquerade something big. _She sighed, quietly dreading Misty and Daisy's respective responses and imagining their laughter at whatever it was that had been done.

_..._

_...Still...I'd better give this more thought. I'll talk to Daisy after she wakes up and see what she can tell me; mazoku could have offspring, of a sort, but nothing like this. In the meantime..._ Dolphin pulled herself to her feet, making sure her robe was secure. Carefully wrapping one of her blankets around the egg to keep it warm, she placed it on her pillow before turning away and walking towards the kitchen. _I'd better settle myself with something to eat._

After pouring herself a bowl of Blastoise Blueberry Bites and some orange juice, Dolphin stared up at the ceiling to ponder the unexpected task that had fallen upon her. _I'm beginning to feel more and more like this couldn't be real, like this is some sort of come-uppance for simply being what I was._ She scooped out a spoonful and took a bite, chewing carefully. _Makes sense, considering that-_

Something was **definitely** not right. She stopped chewing, trying to determine what it was, and found it... just as it hit her taste buds like a collision with Saffron City's magnet train. All of the gym's resident water Pokémon perked up as an agonized yell reached them from the kitchen.

'GYAAAA-_HOTTTTT!_'

* * *

It was right around sunrise before Ai herself woke up, having slept much more soundly than she had in the days following her rescue from Gin. It wasn't to say that she was completely refreshed, considering that she'd woken up once already before making her call to Phibrizzo, but at least she didn't feel like dwelling on the possible consequences of Inuyasha's actions for the time being

Noting that Agasa was still asleep but that he would likely be rousing himself soon, Ai decided that a head start on breakfast was in order and took herself in that direction. _After putting up with my co-workers in my department, it's nice to have a scientist and inventor with a more amiable nature for a guardian. A bit scatterbrained at times, but I could've ended up with worse, I suppose._

After finding what she wanted to eat, she settled in and took a sip of the juice...

...

...and the air seemed to drop in temperature by thirty degrees. Hurriedly she got up and washed out the glass, getting some ice water instead.

_I know exactly who did this. There is only one person I know who could be this juvenile and infiltrate the house just to add something to the juice... and he is going to regret it._

_

* * *

_Several hours after her experience at breakfast and her explanation to Misty and her sister about the egg (after which she expressed relief that the egg was Jetsam's, not her own), Dolphin returned to Cerulean City with one extra Frontier symbol added to her collection. After putting it away and deciding to put off her visit to Evolution Mountain for a little bit, she teleported straight to the Moore Detective Agency and knocked on the door a few times.

Unknown to her, there was no response; for a change of pace, Phibrizzo had gone with the Moores somewhere while Conan was spending time with the Junior Detective League. Frowning, Dolphin wondered where in the world her 'brother' would've gone before deciding that she didn't really need to find out. Teleporting into the office, she faced the door, raised one hand and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

* * *

Ai was a little less direct in her actions than Dolphin was. That same morning, after the usual routine was over and done with, she examined a scrap of paper that she'd kept from her visit to Saffron City. Smiling, she picked up the telephone and started dialling.

"Sabrina?"

The gym leader, looking up from where she had been meditating alongside Kadabra, greeted her father with a curious look; she normally didn't like to be bothered while doing this. _I hope it's important._ "Yes, father?"

"There's a phone call for you. She says her name is 'Ai Haibara'."

_A long-distance call from a recent acquaintance? Hmm... I suppose that qualifies._ "That's the 'little friend' I was telling you and mother about." She smiled and stood up, Kadabra following suit a moment later. "Give me a second, and I'll take the call."

* * *

And waited.

* * *

"I'm giving you an honest opinion," Phibrizzo complained later that afternoon, walking alongside Conan and the Moores up to a nice restaurant; Conan's impersonations of Richard (unbeknownst to the detective in question) were paying dividends. "You people are cursed."

"And I'm telling you that's ridiculous," an indignant Richard was quick to protest. "Aside from the fact that curses don't exist, what kind of nonsense is that?"

"I can't go with you people anywhere without someone dying," Phibrizzo said for probably the third time. "Even that Inspector guy's getting tired of the coincidences."

"Look, if you're getting tired of it, then don't come with us!" Richard 'suggested'. "Tokyo's a big city, and there's scum everywhere. You really think they can go without crime for long periods?"

_They both have their good points,_ Conan thought to himself, sweatdropping. _Regardless, it does seem a little odd that homicides and kidnappings follow us everywhere we go._

Rachel shook her head at their bickering. "Would you two stop arguing? You've been doing this all afternoon!"

"I can't help it. This is all too much for words to properly convey," insisted her cousin. "And it's always the same, too. Someone walks into a room, and finds out someone's dead. The person who finds him or her screams in terror, in hurries the Sleeping Detective and the police, case ensues.

"And the people always end up having ridiculous motives for their actions, too!" Phibrizzo's voice rose a few octaves. "'He was going out with another woman!'" ...then subsequently deepened. "'She refused to listen to me and instead married some other guy.' And, my personal favorite, 'she stole the line of clothing I was going to showcase'! _Ugh!_ I was expecting something along the lines of, 'I am Indigo Montreal, you killed someone I cared for, prepare to die', not their half-baked excuses and overdramatic sob stories!"

"...Truly you have a dizzying intellect," Rachel deadpanned, the last impression reminding her of one of Richard's recent cases. "Phibrizzo, just calm down. We can discuss your opinion of those people later."

Phibrizzo seemed to calm down a bit, staring off to the side as they walked. A few moments later, though, he broke the silence. "I still say you guys are cursed."

"Just come on," Richard grumbled, making as if he were going to drag Phibrizzo along by his ear. He ducked out of the way, scowling at him, but made no further motion to continue the discussion.

Conan, who had already listened to a lengthy argument between Mitch, George and Amy earlier that day, was glad when this one came to a close. "So," he spoke up, "what's with this place we're going to? Didn't they have to close it down because of some pest problems?"

"Closed down and relocated," Rachel clarified. "They did a good enough business that they could afford to move to another building after all those rodents began to appear."

"I've heard of that place," Phibrizzo said, hands behind his head. "You'd think that the dishes would be expensive considering their quality and origin, but they're actually quite affordable. Their rata-"

_Thump._

The three of them gave a start as they realized that his sentence had been cut off, and they turned to see what the matter was. Unbeknownst to them, Phibrizzo wasn't able to answer their questions for the moment; his entire front felt paralyzed, the result of being slurped by a poisonous tongue, and he'd subsequently collapsed to the ground. After a quick conference, the three agreed to hurry him to the nearest clinic and see what the matter was. Dinner could wait.

Somewhere nearby, a Haunter-unseen by the pedestrians who had witnessed Phibrizzo's sudden collapse-snickered to itself at what had transpired before turning and floating its merry way back to Saffron City. It had taken a while to find him, but it was well worth the time spent.

* * *

The phone rang, and Ai got up to answer it. She listened to the caller for a few seconds, said a few words in thanks, then hung up. Her lips curved upward.

_Gotcha, Kaden._

_

* * *

_And waited.

* * *

The stay at the clinic didn't solve much; by the time the standard array of tests was over and done, the only conclusion they could come to was that the x-ray machine wasn't working. After the doctor resolved to have the machine looked at, the paralysis started to steadily wear off on its own; whether it was due to some special ability on Phibrizzo's part or Curtis having something to do with it, Conan wasn't positive.

_One thing's for sure,_ he thought, amused, _they're not going out of their way to attract undue attention to themselves. That wasn't the sort of thing you can easily fake._

It wasn't too late to try and go back to the restaurant, but Phibrizzo decided not to hinder the group anymore that evening. After saying his good-byes and promising to meet them back at the agency, he ducked out of the Moores' sight and teleported away.

Unbeknownst to them, after they had left, the doctor had gone to the restroom-not to take care of business without anyone knowing, but to take care of business without anyone being the wiser. Not that it made much difference, of course.

The doctor took his cell phone out of his pocket, entering in a well-used number. After a few rings, someone answered him. "This is the Captain. What do you want?"

"Sir? This is Doctor Green. I've just had a patient who you are familiar with enter into my office today, and I think you may be interested in what I have discovered about him..."

* * *

"_That_ was a wash," Inuyasha commented, grumbling a little under his breath as he tried to work his way through the solitaire game he was playing. He clawed at one of the cards for a bit, finally turning it over. "What the blazes was it that happened, anyway?"

"For the fifth time, I don't know," Curtis told him, starting to become a little bit irritated at the hanyou. "All I know is that the screens started to lock up right in the middle of Phibrizzo's comment about the rat... rata... something or other." He shook his head, turning his attention back to the path that their host was walking. Part of him noted that they were, indeed, meandering back to the Agency.

_It's high time I had some minutes to myself, anyway._

"Whatever for?" This came from Inuyasha. "It's still at least three or four hours until nightfall."

_Yes, but it's easier to draw during the day. Before she left on her trip, mother was extremely interested in knowing more about what went on back home. With my next allowance, I'm going to add to my wardrobe and show her exactly who that terror is that I keep speaking of._

"Speaking of terrors," Curtis spoke, "have you ever noticed that female Ranma and Lina sound a lot alike?"

_Yes, I have. In fact..._ The duo got the impression that Phibrizzo was scowling as he said this. _I think we might've spoken about this before._

"Refresh my memory, then. What was it you said?"

_I'd told you that I couldn't picture Inverse as an expert martial artist with boyfriend troubles. Could we talk about something else?_

"Alright," said, surprisingly, Inuyasha; for the most part, he wasn't the one to try and start a conversation. "How about that sea-filled smell I'm detecting from somewhere up ahead?"

_A sea-filled smell, you said?_ Phibrizzo frowned, considering what that meant. _Is Dolphin somewhere nearby?_

"It's hard to say," Inuyasha admitted. "It could probably be that fish tank that someone down the street bought recently. The two scents aren't that different."

Not wanting to dismiss him when there was a chance that Dolphin was seeking revenge for his prank the previous night, Phibrizzo kept his eyes open and continually scanned the street for anything strange. When his sister didn't appear between then and the time he reached the agency, he decided that maybe it _had_ been the fish tank after all.

"Don't forget," Curtis said before they started up the stairs. "Phibrizzo, you're going to need to practice for when Mr. Jett confirms that it's alright to come in and get your stuff recorded."

Phibrizzo paused, giving Curtis a mental stare. _I have plenty of time, and those businesses are probably closed this week. Don't rush me._

"I'm not rushing you, just reminding you. You've only practiced a few times since you first talked to him."

_Look, I already know the music by heart. Some of the songs I have in mind have never been heard on this world before, so they may as well be original. I've listened to them often enough in the past that they've been effectively memorized._ He started on up the stairs. _The others are so easy to perform on the flute, I don't need the sheets that they were written on. The inability to remember my own school's name aside, you underestimate my memory, Mr. Potato Body._

"You can remember that far back, huh?" muttered Inuyasha as their host worked on unlocking and opening the door with the spare key he was given. "No wonder you're so... so..." He scratched his head, trying to find the right word to use.

Before either of them could help him out, the door was open... and suddenly, Phibrizzo's world turned blue. A wave of water crashed into him, throwing him off his feet and spilling down the stairs. The handful of nearby passers-by stared at the unexpected torrent and murmured amongst themselves, their eyes wide at this change from the norm.

After depositing Phibrizzo onto the sidewalk, the wave washed into the street and poured its way into the nearest storm drain. Glaring at the sky and knowing full well who was responsible, he drummed his fingers on the ground and thought very unkind things about life in general.

"...Photogenic?" Curtis finally offered to Inuyasha.

"Wasn't what I was looking for, but that's true too."

Dolphin-smiling brightly-all but pranced down the stairs. 'See why it pays to have flood insurance?' she asked via a sign before turning on her heels and strolling away, tugging on her sleeves a little as she went.

The onlookers continued to stare, both at her behavior and at her odd physical appearance. One of them started to call the hospital, but broke off when he saw that the 'victim' was unharmed.

Phibrizzo's scowl went up a notch.

* * *

"Dear Phibrizzo Kaden,

We are pleased to inform you that an appointment has been set for May 7, 1996 at 4:00p.m. here at the Zaxon Records main office. Enclosed with this letter is a hall pass; show it to the employee at the front lobby, and he will tell you where you need to go."

Claude Jett folded his hands in front of his keyboard, pondering what to type. Usually when one wrote to a child, short and simple sentences were the way to go. This one was every bit as intelligent as any adult, though, so simplicity wasn't really needed. Deciding what to type, he added: "Make sure that the instrument you bring is cleaned and in proper working order for the recording session. The concept of 'quality' has been considered important from the company's founding onwards, and as much as we expect it of ourselves we also expect it of others."

_All the potential talent in a gifted elementary school student, combined with the promising prospects provided by my previous talent search... this will be more than enough to get what I need. _"Please contact us if you have any questions. We look forward to your visit. May you remain in the best of health. Signed, Claude Jett, President, Zaxon Records."

He saved the document, then tapped another button to print it out. While he waited, he sat back in his chair and adjusted his glasses with the palm of his hand. "And," he added softly, "may you live in interesting times."

* * *

_Chapter Twenty-Three concluded. Chapter Twenty-Four soon to commence_

This chapter was, to some degree or another, filler. I'd originally intended for it to contain a heavy dose of humor, but in-story circumstances kept going in directions I didn't want them to go. Oh, well; I can't say I didn't try, anyway.

All those who can imagine Amelia as one of the Sailor Senshi, raise your hands. Heh, heh, heh.

Time to play "Spot the Looney Tunes or Merry Melodies Reference"! ...Okay, I don't have an actual prize for anyone (I haven't done any art for the series or anything like that, much as I'm amused by the idea), but the ref is still there.

I remembered reading a few short fics somewhere that lampshaded two aspects of the Detective Conan universe. One, the shrunken sleuth stumbles across _way_ too many cases than is normal. Two, every time someone screams, there's a murder mystery waiting to be solved.

Why is Mr. Jett working at his office during a holiday? If I told you, that would spoil later chapters, wouldn't it? All in due time, everyone; all in due time.

Moving on...


End file.
